Sungjae Im Overcomes Injury to Lead at Valspar Championship

Sungjae Im holds a two-shot advantage at Innisbrook after a third-round 69 on the Copperhead Course. His closing birdie at the par-5 18th completed a round that left him at 11 under par.

Round-by-round scores and leaderboard

Im opened with a 64 that featured two eagles. Back-to-back 69s on Friday and Saturday followed.

Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky sit two strokes behind at nine under. Marco Penge and Matt Fitzpatrick share fourth at eight under.

Injury, recovery and recent form

Im missed the first seven events of the season with a wrist injury. He did not swing a club for more than a month and a half.

After returning to competition two weeks ago, he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He also missed the cut at last week’s Players Championship.

Despite that, he says the extended break helped him correct swing flaws. He reports steady improvement since resuming practice.

Offseason and military training

After finishing T27 at last August’s Tour Championship, Im played three fall events in Asia in October. One of those events was the Baycurrent, his most recent four-round tournament before winter break.

Because he won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games, Im was exempt from two years of service. He still completed several weeks of basic military training.

He described a three-week boot camp with the 9th Marine Brigade, 91st Marine Battalion. He said he emerged from training without injuries.

Career context and outlook

Im has qualified for the Tour Championship seven years in a row, through the 2025 season. He has compiled multiple top finishes during that stretch.

He is seeking a first victory in about four-and-a-half years. He said he will try to manage nerves and play his own game in the final round.

The storyline — Sungjae Im Overcomes Injury to Lead at Valspar Championship — has drawn attention as he chases that breakthrough. Filmogaz.com will follow the final round and report results.