Live leaderboard: Zozo Championship

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Sungjae Im is tireless, and no longer winless. The 21-year-old South Korean started fast and finished stronger Sunday, winning The Honda Classic by one shot over Mackenzie Hughes and Tommy Fleetwood for his first career PGA TOUR victory in his 50th attempt. Related: Leaderboard | Winner’s Bag: Sungjae Im, The Honda Classic Im shot a 4-under 66 on Sunday, finishing at 6 under to match the second-highest winning score since The Honda Classic moved to PGA National in 2007. He was the TOUR’s rookie of the year last season, plus has played more tournaments and more rounds than anyone since the 2018-19 season began nearly a year and a half ago. And now, he’s a winner — the seventh from South Korea to win on TOUR, and The Honda Classic’s 10th international champion in the last 16 seasons. He’s also the fifth player to get that first win at PGA National, joining Keith Mitchell in 2019, Michael Thompson in 2013, Y.E. Yang in 2009 and Mark Wilson in 2007. Im birdied four of his first five holes, then birdied two of the final four to finish off the victory and pick up $1.26 million. Hughes, a Canadian who made the cut on the number Friday, shot his second consecutive 66. Playing alongside Im, he was part of some serious fireworks on the last two holes and missed a birdie putt at the par-5 finishing hole that would have gotten him into a tie for the top spot. Fleetwood, who is still seeking his first PGA TOUR win, started the day one shot clear of the field and started birdie-birdie to get to 7 under at that point — matching what was the low score in relation to par of the week. Then PGA National did what it usually does, that being not let anyone run away from the pack. Fleetwood made bogey on the par-4 6th and couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker on the par-4 8th, giving back what was left of his lead at that point and sharing the top spot at 5 under with Im and Steele. Moments after Im finished, Fleetwood made a 25-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th to get to 5 under. But Fleetwood’s second on the par-5 finishing hole leaked right and splashed into the water, and once his attempt at a miracle hole-out after a drop from 120 yards didn’t fall Im could finally exhale as the winner. That’s when Im could hug his caddie in the locker room, where he watched the last 20 minutes or so on a monitor. “I’ve been in this spot many times. … I just felt like the experience really helped,” Im said through a translator. Some of Im’s best moments have come when no one has been looking. He was third at the Zozo Championship in Japan last October, a finish totally overshadowed by Tiger Woods tying the PGA TOUR record of 82 career victories. And in November he went 3-1-1 to tie for the best showing by a player on the International Team at the Presidents Cup, but the U.S. Team captained by Woods rallied in Singles on the final day to win the trophy at Royal Melbourne. But this time, he was on center stage and embraced the moment. Hughes and Im went to the par-3 17th green — the end of the “Bear Trap” three-hole stretch — in wildly different spots. Im stuck his tee ball to just inside of 8 feet, while Hughes had nearly 55 feet left from above the hole. Hughes rolled in his most improbable birdie to an enormous roar, pulling into a tie with Im at 5 under. If Im was worried, it didn’t show. Im took a couple looks at his downhill line, took his putter back just a couple of inches and watched the ball roll in for a birdie that allowed him to reclaim his lead at 6 under — this time, for good.

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After a two-week break, the new PGA TOUR season begins with the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California. Cal product Max Homa will return to defend his title from last season, when he would win twice and qualify for the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career. Last week he was named as a captain’s pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup Team. FIELD NOTES: Homa, who finished fifth in the FedExCup, edged Stanford product Maverick McNealy, also in this week’s field, at Silverado last year… There will be plenty of Presidents Cup flare in Napa before the squads assemble at Quail Hollow. The International side will have Hideki Matsuyama, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, and Cam Davis, while Homa and American assistant captain Webb Simpson are also playing… Korn Ferry Tour graduates making their debuts as full-fledged PGA TOUR members include Justin Suh, who topped the combined Points List and will be fully exempt this season; Erik Barnes, who at 34 will be a TOUR rookie this season; and Kyle Westmoreland, who was No. 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals Points List and will become the first graduate of the American Air Force Academy to play on TOUR… Zac Blair and Kyle Stanley are playing their first events of a major medical extension… Sponsor exemptions include Harry Higgs, Dylan Wu, Chris Gotterup and Jacob Bridgeman… Jason Dufner, Ryan Moore, and Jimmy Walker are using Career Money Exemptions this season and will be in the field in Napa… Other notables include 2020 winner Stewart Cink, plus Californians Cameron Champ (the winner here in 2019) Rickie Fowler, and Rookie of the Year nominee Sahith Theegala. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Silverado Resort and Spa (North), par 72, 7,123 yards. Located in the heart of California wine country, the course, opened in 1955, was refreshed by TOUR legend turned broadcaster Johnny Miller about a decade ago. This is the seventh playing of the Fortinet Championship at Silverado. The layout moves through mature trees and has undulating fairways and challenging greens. Last season’s scoring average was 71.038 as Max Homa relied on impressive ball-striking (second in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, sixth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee) to capture his third TOUR title. STORYLINES: This marks the final tune-up before the return of the Presidents Cup… It’s a big week for rookies on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour grads keen to keep TOUR status for next season… Earning valuable FedExCup points in the fall has become even more important as only 70 golfers will earn their way into the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs… This marks the end of the wraparound-season era after a decade-long run. The PGA TOUR will return to a calendar-year schedule in 2024… Notable Korn Ferry Tour grads this season include Carl Yuan (who topped the Regular Season Points List), Robby Shelton (two-time winner in 2022), Paul Haley II (re-earned TOUR status for the first time in 10 years), and long-hitting Brandon Matthews. 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Cameron Beckman (2008 at Grayhawk GC), Kevin Sutherland (2008 at Grayhawk GC), Troy Matteson (2009 at Grayhawk GC), Rickie Fowler (2009 at Grayhawk GC), Jamie Lovemark (2009 at Grayhawk GC). Silverado record: 267, Stewart Cink (2020) 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Mark Hensby (2nd round, 2007 at Grayhawk GC), Kevin Stadler (2nd round, 2008 at Grayhawk GC), Troy Matteson (2rd & 3rd rounds, 2009 at Grayhawk GC), Mike Weir (4th round, 2009 at Grayhawk GC), Chesson Hadley (2nd round, 2017 at Silverado). LAST TIME: Max Homa fired a 7-under 65 – tied for the low round of the day – to win by one over Maverick McNealy. It was Homa’s third PGA TOUR win, and he would later bank his fourth victory at the Wells Fargo Championship. In the final round at Silverado he birdied three of the last four holes on the front nine, bogeyed the par-4 10th, and dunked his approach for an eagle on the par-4 12th. He followed that with birdies on No’s 13, 16, and 17 to nip McNealy, who was leading Homa by three with seven holes left. It was a wild finish for McNealy – who was hunting for his first TOUR title – as he birdied No.16, double-bogeyed 17, and eagled 18 to shoot a 4-under 68. Mito Pereira finished 16 under, his third-place result kickstarting a 2021-22 campaign that saw him contend at the PGA Championship and ultimately earn a spot on the International Presidents Cup team. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Sunday: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.–9 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups

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