Sungjae Im’s Valspar Moment: When Droughts End and Legacies Shift

There’s something about a five-year winless stretch on the PGA Tour that gets under your skin. I’ve watched enough careers unfold over my 35 years covering this game to know that drought doesn’t just affect a player’s bank account—it reshapes how he sees himself.

So when I looked at Sunday’s final pairing at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course, with Sungjae Im sitting atop the leaderboard at 11-under par and Brandt Snedeker two shots back, I didn’t just see a competitive final round. I saw two men at very different points of their careers, both hungry to prove something.

The Weight of Waiting

Let’s start with Im. The 27-year-old South Korean has won twice on Tour—hardly the mark of a player in crisis. But here’s what casual fans don’t understand about the modern PGA Tour: two wins between 2021 and now? That’s a long silence for someone with his talent. I’ve caddied and covered enough tournaments to recognize that look in a player’s eyes when he hasn’t hoisted a trophy in a while. It’s not panic exactly, but it’s a specific kind of hunger.

“Im, a 27-year-old from South Korea, enters the final round at Innisbrook alone atop the leaderboard at 11 under. After a third-round 69 — his second consecutive two-under round — the two-time Tour winner will sleep on a two-stroke lead.”

What strikes me most about Im’s position is the consistency. Two consecutive rounds of 69—exactly two-under par both times. That’s not flashy golf. That’s the kind of steady, almost methodical play that suggests a player who’s learned patience. Back when I was caddying in the ’90s, we called that “grinding.” Im is grinding.

His two-stroke cushion heading into Sunday isn’t massive, but it’s enough. And in my experience, when a player who’s been waiting this long gets into the final group with a lead, something shifts mentally. He knows what he has to do, and he’s not going to overthink it.

Snedeker’s Last Dance

Now, Brandt Snedeker presents a different narrative entirely—one that frankly, I find more emotionally complex.

“Brandt Snedeker, the 45-year-old and upcoming U.S. Presidents Cup captain, will tee it up in the final pairing alongside Im as he seeks his 10th Tour victory. Playing in the 1:50 p.m. tee time, Snedeker will start the day two shots back as he tries to get in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2018.”

Let’s be clear: Snedeker at 45, coming off an eight-year victory drought, being paired in a final group at a legitimate PGA Tour event—this matters. The guy won 8 times on Tour between 2011 and 2018. He was legit. Then, quietly, the wins stopped coming.

What people miss is that Snedeker’s already achieved something most players never will—he’s secured his legacy as a Presidents Cup captain. That’s a significant role, and it speaks to how the Tour still views him. But there’s a difference between being respected and being hungry. At 45, I think Brandt is both, and that combination is dangerous in a final pairing.

Having covered fifteen Masters and countless other major events, I’ve learned that age doesn’t necessarily diminish a player’s competitive fire—it sometimes sharpens it. A player in his mid-40s who still believes he can win? That’s someone operating with nothing to lose and everything to prove.

The Supporting Cast

It’s also worth noting the talent lurking just behind these two. David Lipsky tied for second at nine-under, with Marco Penge and Matt Fitzpatrick one shot further back. Fitzpatrick, in particular, is the kind of player who could absolutely get hot over eighteen holes. I watched him work his way through that leaderboard, and you get the sense he’s playing with precision.

This isn’t just a two-man show—it’s a legitimate tournament finale with multiple scenarios playing out.

What This Means

Here’s what I think matters about Sunday’s final round: it’s a referendum on perseverance. Both Im and Snedeker have waited. Both have reasons to believe. And both are coming into a Sunday where the golf course at Innisbrook will demand precision.

The Copperhead Course has never been a bombers’ paradise. It rewards accuracy and course management—exactly the kind of golf that a player playing from ahead, or a veteran fighting to stay in it, would need to execute. That’s not flashy television, perhaps, but it’s compelling professional golf.

Television coverage runs from 1-3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel, then 3-6 p.m. ET on NBC, with PGA Tour Live providing streaming from 7:30 a.m. ET for the truly dedicated. For those of us who’ve spent decades watching final rounds, this setup usually means we’ll get extensive coverage of the back nine when tensions peak.

In my experience, droughts end when they’re supposed to. Sometimes it’s the younger player eager to re-establish himself. Sometimes it’s the veteran reminding everyone he’s still got it. Sunday will tell us which narrative wins at Innisbrook.

One thing’s certain: both these guys are going to leave everything out there.