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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Par-3 Contest at the Masters is supposed to bring nothing but bum luck for this simple reason: Nobody who has won it has gone on to win the green jacket four days later.
So it was something of a surprise Thursday when first-round leader Sungjae Im revealed that one source of inspiration for his lights-out, 5-under 67 was “some good vibes from my dad” that he received from a shot his father executed during the rain-shortened Par-3.
“He hit a great shot at No. 9,” Im said through an interpreter, “and that was an exciting day for me.”
Ji Taek Im, the player’s old man, was a big hit on the final hole of the contest. Wearing his white caddie jumpsuit, he took an amateurish hack at his tee shot and landed it 4 feet left of the flag, drawing howling laughs from his son and other pros, and a full round of hearty high-fives.
“It’s definitely a memorable day,” Sungjae Im said. “I didn’t expect much. … I remember the group behind us, we were at the tee box — Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns and Billy Horschel. They were just having fun and having a crack at my dad, and it got me, too, so I was laughing.
“But once he hit the shot, it was the most beautiful shot I’ve seen. It was like a professional shot. It was definitely a fun day and a memorable one.”
Perhaps not quite as fun and memorable as Thursday, when Im put himself in position to do what he almost did in 2020, when he finished in a tie for second behind Dustin Johnson in the pandemic-delayed November Masters in his Augusta National debut. That was the South Korean’s introduction to an American golf audience that, 17 months later, spent the day transfixed by Tiger Woods’ remarkable comeback while Im slid through the backdoor and into the lead by outplaying Tiger by four strokes.
“I feel like I can play well here every time,” said Im, citing his 2020 breakthrough. “I think [the course] fits my game. It requires tee-to-green good shots overall, and to put the shots into spots where I have a chance to attack the green is important. … Overall [2020] is a great memory that I’ll carry on with me. Just to finish runner-up here in the Masters is a feat that I really am proud of. But we’re only one day in. … I just want to keep this momentum going and try to finish well this week.”
Im, 24, opened his round with three consecutive birdies, but the hole that vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard was the par-5 13th, where he hit a hybrid into the green before sinking an eagle putt. He now has a chance to follow last year’s champ, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, as the second Asian player to win the Masters.
“I don’t want to think about overachieving anything at this moment,” Im said. “I still have a lot of days to play, and there are a lot of talented players out here at the Masters. But talking about Hideki’s win last year, I have my utmost respect for him. I’ve watched him play since I was a kid, and hopefully good things will happen.”
Hopefully, for Im’s sake, he will hit a shot on Sunday’s back nine as beautiful as the one his dad hit Wednesday in the Par-3.
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