03/21/26 06:52:00
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03/21 18:50 CDT Sungjae Im takes lead into Innisbrook finale, with Brandt
Snedeker also in final group
Sungjae Im takes lead into Innisbrook finale, with Brandt Snedeker also in
final group
PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) --- Sungjae Im was in position for a wire-to-wire
victory in the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook after a slow start in his
return from a wrist injury.
Brandt Snedeker was right beside him in the final pairing --- with a hot new
putter in the bag.
Im holed a sweeping 13-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole Saturday for a
2-under 69 and a two-stroke lead over Snedeker, the 45-year-old U.S. Presidents
Cup captain playing on a sponsor exemption, and David Lipsky.
Snedeker birdied three of the first four holes in a 67, and Lipsky had a 70 on
the sunny afternoon with a high in the low-70s and wind gusting to 15 mph.
After missing two straight cuts in his return, Im led by a stroke after each of
the first two rounds in firm and fast conditions on the Copperhead course,
shooting 64-69.
"I wasn't able to practice for two months," Im said. "So I think a lot of my
shots that I didn't like from last year I was able to, once I started
practicing, I was able to correct and it's just been consistently getting
better."
On Saturday, Im played the front nine in 3 under, with birdies on Nos. 1, 7 and
8. He bogeyed the par-4 12th and par-3 13th, and got the left-to-right putt to
fall on 18 to get to 11-under 202.
"I was really happy that my play was good on the finishing stretch, 16 through
18," Im said. "And I'm really thrilled about the birdie on the final hole, and
to have a two-shot lead going into tomorrow."
The 27-year-old South Korean player has two PGA Tour victories, the 2020 Honda
Classic and 2021 Shriners Children's Open.
"It's been awhile since I've been in the lead like this," Im said. "I'm sure I
will be nervous, but the best I can do is just to play my own game."
Snedeker won the last of his nine PGA Tour titles in 2018 and had only two top
10s in the last year. He switched to a mallet putter a few weeks ago, and has
been on a tear on and around the greens this week.
"I finished strong, made some good swings coming down the stretch," Snedeker
said. "Rolling the ball so good, chipping the ball so good, if I can kind of
get my long game under control a little bit we're going to have a good chance
tomorrow."
Lipsky had five birdies and four bogeys. He's winless on the PGA Tour.
"It was up-and-down," Lipsky said. "I didn't hit it as many fairways as I
wanted to, nor greens. But overall the short game and the putter really saved
me and kept me in it."
Matt Fitzpatrick, second last week in The Players Championship, was 8 under
along with Marco Penge. They each shot 68.
Brooks Koepka was tied for 16th at 3 under after a 71.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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