Sungjae Im Holds Two-Stroke Lead at 11-Under Following 69 at Valspar Championship

Sungjae Im leads the Valspar Championship by two strokes at 11-under 202 after carding a third-round 69 at Innisbrook.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- Sungjae Im carded a 2-under 69 on Saturday to reach an 11-under 202 total, securing a two-stroke lead entering the final round of the Valspar Championship. Playing the Copperhead course at Innisbrook, the 27-year-old South Korean holed a 13-foot birdie putt on the 445-yard par-4 18th to distance himself from the field. Im, who previously recorded rounds of 64 and 69, has held at least a share of the lead after every round this week. He sits two shots ahead of Brandt Snedeker, who posted a 4-under 67, and David Lipsky, who signed for a 70.

During a sunny afternoon featuring temperatures in the low-70s and wind gusts reaching 15 mph, the leaderboard remained tight as conditions stayed firm and fast. Im opened his third round with a birdie on the 1st hole and added further gains at the 7th and 8th to turn in 3-under par. Consecutive bogeys at the par-4 12th and par-3 13th briefly stalled his momentum before the sweeping left-to-right birdie putt on the final green restored his cushion. This performance follows a difficult return from a wrist injury where Im missed two straight cuts after being unable to practice for two months.

Snedeker and Lipsky Chase at Innisbrook

Brandt Snedeker, the 45-year-old U.S. Presidents Cup captain competing on a sponsor exemption, moved into the final pairing alongside Im after birdying three of his first four holes. Snedeker utilized a new mallet putter, a club he switched to only a few weeks ago, to navigate the greens. Despite having only two top-10 finishes in the last year and seeking his first victory since 2018, Snedeker remains in contention at 9-under par. He noted that his short game and chipping have been the strengths of his week while he works to stabilize his long game for Sunday.

David Lipsky joined Snedeker at 9-under after a fluctuating round that included five birdies and four bogeys. Lipsky, who is currently winless on the PGA Tour, struggled to find fairways and greens in regulation but relied on his putter to maintain his position. The 70 he recorded on Saturday keeps him within striking distance of his first career title. Behind the lead trio, Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge sit in a tie for fourth place at 8-under par after both players shot rounds of 68. Fitzpatrick entered the week following a second-place finish at The Players Championship.

Statistical Breakdown and Tournament Context

Sungjae Im is pursuing his third career PGA Tour victory, adding to his titles at the 2020 Honda Classic and the 2021 Shriners Children's Open. His wire-to-wire bid comes after a period of correction regarding his swing mechanics; Im stated that the forced hiatus allowed him to fix specific shot shapes he disliked from the previous season. His 11-under total through 54 holes is supported by a 64 in the opening round and back-to-back 69s.

Further down the leaderboard, Brooks Koepka posted a even-par 71 on Saturday to remain at 3-under for the tournament, leaving him in a tie for 16th place. The field has faced increasingly difficult scoring conditions as the Copperhead course dried out, yet Im managed to play the critical closing stretch from holes 16 through 18 without dropping a shot.

Im enters the finale with a scoring average of 67.33 over the first three days. While Snedeker has nine career PGA Tour titles to his name, his recent form has been quiet, making this his most significant contention in several seasons. The final round will feature Im and Snedeker in the last group, with the South Korean player acknowledging the nerves associated with a two-shot advantage. The tournament concludes tomorrow with Im seeking to become the first wire-to-wire winner at the event in recent history.