"No One in Korea Will Be Sleeping Tonight" as Kim Hyo-joo and Sungjae Im Chase Victory: Could They Make Unprecedented Wire-to-Wire History on the U.S. Tours?

According to Financial News, Korean golf stars long hungry for victory, Kim Hyo-joo (Lotte Group) and Sungjae Im (CJ Group), are both on the verge of making history on the premier stages of the U.S. women’s and men’s professional tours.
They are closing in on a rare feat: a perfect "wire-to-wire" victory, where the winner never surrenders the top spot on the leaderboard from the opening round to the final day. Both are in position to pull off this achievement at the same time. It is a golden opportunity to once again showcase the strength of Korean golf on American soil.
On the 22nd (Korea time), Kim Hyo-joo displayed dazzling ball-striking in the third round of the LPGA Founders Cup (total purse $3 million) on the LPGA Tour, held at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club (par 72) in Menlo Park, the State of California. She fired a brilliant 6-under 66, combining one eagle, seven birdies, and three bogeys.

After seizing the outright lead with a stunning 9-under opening round, Kim seemed to take a brief breather in round two. But on moving day in round three, her game exploded again. She opened with a birdie on the par-4 1st hole, then produced a remarkable stretch from the 3rd (par 3) through the 6th (par 4), racking up one eagle and three birdies over just four holes to crush any hopes of a chase from her rivals. Although she traded birdies and bogeys on the back nine and briefly lost some momentum, she rolled in a clean birdie putt on the par-4 16th to underline her status as the leader.
Kim Hyo-joo now stands at 17-under 199 for the tournament. She holds a comfortable five-shot advantage over world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States, who is alone in second at 12-under 204.
This tournament carries special meaning for Kim. It is the very stage where she lifted the trophy in 2015 during her rookie season on the LPGA Tour. Having earned a chance to relive the joy of 11 years ago, Kim said, "I may have a big lead over second place, but I will focus even harder so I can finish well in the final round," expressing a strong determination to capture her eighth career LPGA victory, and her first in a year.

On the same day, there was welcome news from the PGA Tour as well. Sungjae Im played the third round of the Valspar Championship (total purse $9.1 million) at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club Copperhead Course (par 71) in Palm Harbor, State of Florida, posting a 2-under 69 with four birdies and two bogeys.
Earlier this season, Im struggled with repeated missed cuts and mental strain due to lingering wrist issues. At this event, however, he has shown that his swing is fully back. He has maintained his grip on the top of the leaderboard for three straight days, reaching 11-under 202 through three rounds. He now heads into a nerve-racking final day with a two-shot edge over Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky of the United States, who share second at 9-under 204.

Im opened his round with a birdie on the par-5 1st hole and built momentum with back-to-back birdies on the 7th and 8th. He then hit his biggest crisis with consecutive bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes on the back nine, but he bounced back by sinking a clutch birdie on the par-4 18th.
If he closes out the win in the final round, Im will claim his long-awaited third career PGA Tour title, his first since the Shriners Children's Open in October 2021, ending a drought of four years and five months.
Im said, "I haven’t won in more than four years, but I’ve continued to play well and finish near the top," adding, "Of course it would be great to win this time, but I’ll stay calm and focus on my own game." His words reflected both confidence and humility.
Korean golf fans are now turning their eyes to the 23rd, when the final rounds of the U.S. men’s and women’s tours will be played. The world of golf is watching closely to see whether an unprecedented new chapter can be written, with Korea’s top male and female players both capturing wire-to-wire victories on American soil.


jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter