First top-10 since BMW Championship two months ago

Brennan wins by one for season's 2nd title; Lee Sang-hee finishes 65th

Im Sung-jae tees off on the 4th hole during the final round of the PGA Tour Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Japan on Sunday. [Getty Images]
Im Sung-jae tees off on the 4th hole during the final round of the PGA Tour Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Japan on Sunday. [Getty Images]

Im Sung-jae secured his sixth top-10 finish of the season at the PGA Tour Baycurrent Classic, which carried a purse of $8 million.

Im carded a 3-under-par 68 in the final round Sunday at Yokohama Country Club (par 71) in Japan, posting four birdies against one bogey. His total of 12-under-par 272 left him tied for ninth alongside Yonezawa Ren of Japan, Min Woo Lee of Australia and Jack Boshue of the United States.

Having entered the final round tied for 12th, Im climbed the leaderboard by picking up three birdies on the front nine. He bogeyed the par-4 12th hole but immediately bounced back with a birdie on the 13th, then parred every remaining hole.

The result marked Im's first top-10 since a share of 10th at the BMW Championship in August, and an improvement on his tied-20th finish at last year's edition, when he shot 8-under-par 276.

Michael Brennan of the United States claimed the title with a total of 16-under-par 268, closing with a 3-under final round to edge out compatriots Jacob Bridgeman and Keith Mitchell — both at 15-under-par 269 — by one stroke.

The victory was Brennan's second of the season and third on the PGA Tour overall, earning him a winner's check of $1.44 million.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele of the United States was in contention after making four birdies through 17 holes, but a double bogey on the par-4 18th dropped him into a share of fourth at 13-under-par 271.

Lee Sang-hee, competing in his first PGA Tour event in 10 years since the 2016 Open Championship, shot 1-under in the final round on the strength of an eagle and three birdies, offset by four bogeys, but finished 65th at 2-over-par 286.


yjc@heraldcorp.com