Sungjae Im endured a turbulent two-hole sequence during Saturday’s third round at Quail Hollow. It all began on the drivable 328-yard par-4 14th, where his 312-yard tee shot found the left rough pin-high, only for an unlucky bounce to leave the ball inches from the water. With almost no stance but a clear shot available, Im removed his right shoe, planted his rear foot in the pond, and chipped close before converting a 9-foot birdie putt to salvage what could have been a disastrous hole.
Then came the 15th, a par 5, where his approach landed in a greenside bunker. After several extra looks, Im’s third shot was a bladed wedge straight out of a golfer’s nightmare: the ball rocketed over the green, slammed into the grandstands behind, then ricocheted backward, flew toward the green, rolled past the hole, and trickled all the way back into the same bunker — forcing him to play the exact same shot again after the worst-case scenario had already unfolded. Remarkably, Im emerged from the chaotic two-hole stretch at even par, a powerful reminder that resilience is just as important as shot-making.
