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 m.p.h.
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 and 69.
“I wasn’t able to practise 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 practising, 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.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is in a three-way tie for eighth at 5 under, six shots back of the leader. AJ Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., is tied for 25th at 2 under and Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, Ont., is tied for 48th at even par.
“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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The Associated Press
