Leaderboard: What’s happening at the WGC-Mexico Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sungjae Im came to the Wyndham Championship as the highest-ranking rookie in the FedExCup (25). Without winning, he nevertheless had people talking. Now he really has them talking. With a second-round 67 at soggy Sedgefield Country Club, Im was tied with Patton Kizzire (64) and Adam Svensson (61) atop the leaderboard through 36 holes. Suffice it to say this did not go unnoticed by playing partner Mike Weir (69, 4 under), who will be an assistant to Presidents Cup Captain Ernie Els at Royal Melbourne, December 12-15. “I love his game,� Weir said after the round, which was played under cloudy skies and using lift, clean and place rules for the second straight day. “It was great to get paired with him. We have an eye on him for the Presidents Cup; Ernie and I were texting last night about it for 10 minutes, back and forth. What’d you think? And all that stuff.  “He’s got all the talent in the world, hits all the shots,� Weir added. “He chips well, he putts great. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. He’s trending in the right direction, and I’m sure that’s what Ernie wants is guys that are playing well. He’s not one of the bombers, but he’s in the mid to upper range like Rickie Fowler. He still hits it plenty far. He’s got a really mature head, has a good guy on the bag. I’ve had my eye on him for quite a bit.� Im, who turned 21 and got his driver’s license earlier this year, kick-started his second round with a 4-under 31 on the front nine. He’s in great shape to knock out his seventh top-10 finish and maybe his first win, and move up from 13th in the International Presidents Cup standings. The biennial tournament has been in his sights ever since it came to his native South Korea in 2015. RELATED: Tee times | International Presidents Cup standings “The Presidents Cup in Incheon really motivated me to hopefully make the team this year,� he said through a translator after his round, which was watched by his parents, who travel with him, and his brother, among others. “And even though it’s not confirmed yet, I feel like I have a great chance to make the team, and it’s something that I’m really striving for.�  Im has long been on the radar of several golf-watchers, not just Els and Weir. He was the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year last season, and in his first PGA TOUR start finished T4 at the Safeway Open in Napa, California, missing the three-man playoff by just a shot. “The kid is for real,� Els said then. “He’s got no fear,� said Im’s caddie, the former TOUR player Brian Vranesh, who first caddied for Im in the final stage of the 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.  Vranesh calls Im “the hardest worker I’ve ever seen,� and indeed the two decamped to the Sedgefield practice green after the second round. Without trying to, Im has developed a swing that recalls Hideki Matsuyama with its slow takeaway. It also produces mind-numbingly consistent golf. His shots don’t curve much, his irons scrape the bottom of the sun, and he putts well, too.  He came to the Wyndham 30th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, 56th in Strokes Gained: Putting. If there has been a blemish to his rookie season, and you have to look pretty hard to find one, it is that Im hasn’t done well in the biggest tournaments. He missed the cut at THE PLAYERS Championship, PGA Championship and The Open Championship, and didn’t qualify for the Masters Tournament and U.S. Open. Otherwise, he’s been pretty much as advertised. He was one of the eight players who mathematically had a chance to move into the Wyndham Rewards Top 10, with $5.3 million in bonus money still up for grabs. He is projected to do just that, moving up to ninth. He loves to play, and has racked up an eye-popping 31 starts.   “I honestly feel I can play a lot better when I play more tournaments,� Im said. He plays so much he’s even been playing in Monday pro-ams in order to familiarize himself with the slate of TOUR courses, and he’s clearly taken a liking to Sedgefield Country Club. “I had a lot of opportunities this year for a win,� he said, “and I was in contention a lot, and I’ll definitely use those experiences to help me this week. I definitely will use those experiences to not make the same mistakes this week, and hopefully put all my focus into getting a win.�  

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Justin Thomas won three straight holes to start the back nine in a 2-and-1 victory over Kyle Stanley in the Match Play semifinals Saturday. Up next: a semifinal matchup with Bubba Watson, in which a victory would elevate him to world No. 1.

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After a great week of golf betting at The Open Championship, the PGA TOUR will head to Minnesota for the 3M Open. The field consists of three of the top-25 players in the world golf rankings, and it’s no surprise these three – Tony Finau (+1400), Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) and Sungjae Im (+1600) – have the best odds. With that being said, as of Tuesday at the BetMGM online sportsbook, bettors are flocking to a pair of PGA TOUR rookies. Davis Riley and Sahith Theegala are generating the most pre-tournament action. RELATED: Rookies to watch on the PGA TOUR Riley is pulling in the most handle (12.6%) and the second-most tickets (7%), while Theegala is just behind him with 10.1% of the handle and just ahead of him with 7.9% of tickets. Both players are seeking their first PGA TOUR win. Regarding their golf odds to win, both players are +2500, tied for the fifth-best odds in the field. TPC Twin Cities is a different course from the past two weeks in Scotland featuring tree-lined fairways, thick rough, and numerous water hazards. It will not be wide open and fast like the prior two weeks at The Reinassance Club and St. Andrews. Theegala, who was a late add for The Open Championship and finished T-34, nearly won the Travelers Championship (T-2) a few weeks ago and followed it up with a T-16 finish at the John Deere Classic. The 24-year-old, who is currently 38th in the FedExCup Playoff standings, also has a T-3 finish this season at the WM Phoenix Open. Riley’s closest call to winning came in a playoff loss to Sam Burns at the Valspar Championship, but he’s compiled nine top-25 finishes, which have him ranked 23rd in the FedExCup. The 25-year-old will enter the week fully rested, having not played in the last three weeks. With a relatively weak field compared to most other PGA TOUR events, this could be the right time for one of these rookies to pick up their first career win. Current Handle & Tickets Handle 1. Davis Riley – 12.6% 2. Sahith Theegala – 10.1% 3. Tony Finau – 6.7% 4. Sungjae Im – 5.1% 5. Cam Davis – 5.1% Tickets 1. Sahith Theegala – 7.9% 2. Davis Riley – 7% 3. Hideki Matsuyama – 6.3% 4. Tony Finau – 6.2% 5. Cam Davis – 4.5% Finau is another popular play. He’s had some solid showings at the event, including a T-3 finish in 2020. Davis (+2500) is also a player bettors like this week, likely because of his recent form. He enters the week with two straight top-10 finishes. Cameron Champ (+5000) is the defending champion, drawing 2.7% of the tickets and 4.1% of the handle. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.

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