Golf, like life, is full of ups and downs. Some days, you hit every fairway, the ball bends to your will and the hole looks twice its normal size standing over a putt. Other days, it can be a cruel, unforgiving game and you find yourself in situations much like the ones Sungjae Im experienced during the third round of the Truist Championship.
It began at the 14th hole at Quail Hollow. Like much of the field this week, Im decided to attack the drivable 328-yard par 4. His 312-yard tee shot finished pin-high in the left rough, but one unfortunate bounce left the ball resting inches from the water.
Im technically had a shot, but not much of a stance. So he did what he had to do and removed his right shoe to take an uneven stance with his rear foot completely submerged in the pond. After knocking his chip close, Im converted the 9-foot birdie putt to save what looked to be a disastrous hole.
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Then things got even stranger.
At the par-5 15th, Im’s approach settled in the greenside bunker just below the green. Im stood over his third shot and took a few extra looks before pulling the trigger — and the result was a bladed wedge straight out of every golfer’s worst nightmare.
His shot rocketed over the green and slammed into the grandstands behind it. Then, an unlucky bounce caused the ball to ricochet backward off the stands, sending it flying toward the green.
It landed with speed, rolled past the hole and trickled all the way back into the same bunker he was already standing in — forcing him to replay the exact same shot after the worst-case scenario had already unfolded.
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The most impressive part is that Sungjae Im managed to come through the two-hole stretch at even par. A nice reminder that resilience is just as important as shot-making.
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