Sungjae Im runs the tables in Las Vegas victory

Sungjae Im was so involved in his game that he didn’t know how many birdies he was making to turn a Las Vegas shootout into a one-man show.

It wasn’t until he saw a list of the best after his big run – seven birdies in an eight-hole course around the turn on Sunday at TPC Summerlin – that it began to memorize himself.

“When I saw that I was leading by five points, I said to myself, ‘Let’s not make a mistake and I can do it,'” he said.

By then he had done everything he needed. The 23-year-old South Korean finished with four safe pars for a 9-under 62 and a win over Matthew Wolff with four strokes at the Shriners Children’s Open.

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“Very meaningful victory,” I said. “It was hard to come but today I think how everything went. I think it was a gift from above. I played so well and I’m glad I won.”

It was the best final round of a winner at the Shriners Children’s Open since Smylie Kaufman shot 61 in 2016.

Wolff was trying to keep up when he made a birdie out of trouble on the ninth par-5 with an 18-foot putt. But he was slowed down by two tees that ended in the worst places and resulted in bogeys he couldn’t afford.

Wolff made a couple of late birdies for a 68 – he’s now 12 for 12 with rounds at Summerlin in the 60s – and had to settle for second place.

Im was one of four players who had at least part of the lead on the top nine of TPC Summerlin on an ideal day with little wind.

When he putted a 12-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole, the third toughest on the course, to take the lead, I was just getting started.

He closed the first nine with a simple up and down just before the green on the 9th fairway bunker at 25 feet and made the putt.

“The lie wasn’t great with the lip up but I made it on the green and made that putt for a birdie, I think that gave me great confidence that I can do it,” he said.

This is my second time winning on the PGA Tour and while he doesn’t have big numbers, he couldn’t ignore the bizarre trend. He won the 2020 Honda Classic in his 50th start on the PGA Tour. He won in Las Vegas in his 100th start.

Chances are he won’t have to wait 50 tournaments for his next trophy.

He followed his Honda Classic win with a third place at Bay Hill, and then golf took a three-month hiatus because of the pandemic. He went five months without a serious fight until the Masters in November where he briefly challenged Dustin Johnson.

Now he can only hope that he will make his move.

“I had a really good role and I felt great in my game after the Honda win and I played well in the Arnold Palmer the week after,” I said. “But it’s a shame. It’s something I couldn’t control. But after the pandemic, when golf resumed, I really tried to get that rhythm back and there were times that weren’t easy.

“But try again to stay calm and believe in my game.”

Rory Sabbatini, the Olympic silver medalist from Slovakia, shot 28 on the top nine and was briefly tied in the lead. He managed only par on the second nine with a 64 and was tied with Marc Leishman (63) and 54-hole leader Adam Schenk (70) third.

Wolff had no choice but to smile.

“This game is like when I’m in the lead or when I’m in competition someone just seems to go after me on the last day,” he said. An example would be Bryson DeChambeau, who shot in the final round at Winged Foot 67 while playing in the bottom group with Wolff at the US Open last year.

“But if I keep putting myself in these positions, I know that at some point it will be in my favor and I’ll win,” he said.

Sunday wasn’t that day, especially on the 13th Par-5. He thought his 3-wood could easily clear the bunker on the left. And if it didn’t, he assumed it would roll back to the bottom of the sand and he still had a decent chance of birdie.

Instead, he said someone left the rake up and the ball landed on a slope in a depression made by the handle. All he could do was get it out about 15 feet. Even with a good lie, Im would be difficult to catch.

Sam Burns, who took a win in Mississippi last week and started just two back into the finals, made an early birdie and then stood until it was too late. He finished with a double bogey for a 72 and tied for 14th place.