In 2018–19, he was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and led the tour in starts (35) and cuts made (26). after qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour.
#Sungjae im pro#
He turned pro at age 17 and joined the Japan Tour. Im, despite his age, has been in search of a full-time caddie for years. “Takes some getting used to, you know?” Spencer says.
Now he’s with a South Korean ranked 26th in the world. In 20-plus years caddying professionally, Spencer has never worked for a player who didn’t speak English, other than a couple of weeks on DH Lee’s bag a few years ago. He landed on this bag because Im’s agent, Danny Oh, is a mutual friend. Pan, Bo Van Pelt and Stephan Jaeger, among others. Spencer, who has kids who are only a few years younger than Im, lives in Dallas and has caddied for the likes of Daniel Berger, Russel Henley, C.T. Im lives off the coast of South Korea, on Jeju Island, a land shifted and shaped over time, formed by volcanic activity a mere 1.8 million years ago. Im and Spencer? They not only speak different languages, but they’re from different worlds.
The Masters is as much about mental gymnastics as it is about shotmaking. Annoyed or upset, they can talk about it. If the player wants to clear his mind, he can spark a conversation about this or that. If a player is in a rut, the caddie can change the subject. They discuss options, conditions, situations. When the time comes to focus, they break down shots in the most intricate detail. Kind of incredible, if you think about it, no? All the other potential winners lurking on this week’s scoreboard are out there with their caddies chatting about this, talking about that. He is doing this, you’ll note, despite not carrying on conversations with his caddie. Having finished runner-up in the 2020 fall Masters, and making his third appearance at Augusta, Im led the tournament after Round 1 on Thursday and is in a four-way tie for second at 3-under, five shots behind tournament pace car Scottie Scheffler. They do, and two more rounds making it work this weekend could potentially result in Im becoming the first Korean to win the Masters. “All we can do is make it work,” Spencer says. Dylan also said, “I failed to communicate, that’s why I chose to leave.” It’s the responsibility of the individual. If you want to understand someone, you find a way. There is, though, the power of human language. What can I tell you? What can you tell me? How do we communicate what we’re seeing, thinking, feeling? As the philosopher Dylan once said, “A mistake is to commit a misunderstanding.” Sometimes, even when speaking the same mother tongue, things still get lost in translation. It’s not exactly profound to say that language is central to all we know. “It’s challenging,” says Spencer, eyes raised, standing outside the Augusta National clubhouse Friday afternoon, about 20 feet from his boss.
0 kommentar(er)
