What happens when one South Korean sports star meets another in, of all places, Tampa, Florida?
As you might expect — one star breaks the ice and they enjoy some chuckles.
That’s what happened when Sungjae Im, the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who already has a Tour victory under his belt from the 2020 Honda Classic, was enjoying an afternoon of golf and realized that another major sports celebrity from his home country was also on the links.
Soon after, Hyun-jin Ryu, an icon in South Korea and the starting pitcher in the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, came over to approach Im.
“It was actually pure coincidence that we ran into each other. I was practicing at TPC Tampa Bay and he happened to be there, as well, and we kind of passed each other on the front nine, and he actually came up to me and asked for a photo and recognized who I was,” Im said during a media session at the Charles Schwab Challenge. “And I thought it was really cool that such an accomplished athlete and a megastar in South Korea and here, as well, recognized me and wanted to take a picture with me.”
Ryu, who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing a four-year, $80-million contract in the off-season, is revered for his work with the South Korea Olympic baseball team. In 2008, Ryu was the winning pitcher in the final game as South Korea captured a gold medal by beating Cuba.
Im, meanwhile, spent his quarantine in Tampa Bay and is eager to get back to action as he enters this week’s event in Fort Worth, Texas, as the FedExCup leader. He also sits 15th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings.
So, what advice did Ryu have for Im?
“He didn’t really give me any advice,” Im said. “But we did talk and it was very cool getting to meet him.”
