Both South Koreans finish near bottom at Masters; McIlroy defends title

Lead

The two South Korean golfers in the field at the Masters finished near the bottom of the leaderboard at the season's first major, as Im Sung-jae ended in 46th place and Kim Si-woo in 47th at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday. The tournament was won by Rory McIlroy, who successfully defended his title with a 12-under 276, one shot ahead of top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Coverage Comparison

Both Yonhap articles tracked the progress of Im and Kim through the week. The first report focused on their sluggish opening rounds, noting that Kim shot a three-over 75 and Im a four-over 76 on Thursday. The second report, published after the final round, detailed their weekend struggles and final placements. Both stories also contextualized the South Korean players' performances against their past results at Augusta, with one article highlighting Im's runner-up finish in 2020 as the best by a South Korean at the Masters.

Key Claims

South Korean finals

Im Sung-jae finished alone in 46th place at three-over 291, according to Yonhap. His final round was a 77, which included one birdie, four bogeys, and one double bogey, as reported by the agency. Im had opened the tournament with a 76 before shooting back-to-back 69s, but his worst round of the week on Sunday dropped him down the standings.

Kim Si-woo ended the tournament in 47th place at four-over 292, per the report. Kim shot rounds of 75-73-72-72, failing to break 70 in any round during his ninth Masters appearance. In the final round, he recorded five birdies and five bogeys, and he finished with a birdie on the par-4 18th, one of only eight on that hole on Sunday, according to Yonhap.

Opening round struggles

The earlier article noted that both players got off to a poor start. Kim's first round included two birdies, three bogeys, and a double bogey on the first hole. He missed five fairways and hit only half the greens in regulation, per the report. Im had no birdies in his opening round, with two bogeys and a double bogey; he missed just two fairways but hit only 10 of 18 greens.

Historical context

Yonhap highlighted that Im tied for second at the 2020 Masters, the best performance by a South Korean at Augusta. In 2025, Im was one of only two players to shoot under par in all four rounds en route to a tie for fifth. Kim, meanwhile, had broken 70 only once in his previous 16 rounds at the Masters before this year, and his best finish is a tie for 12th in 2021, according to the reports.

Perspectives

Yonhap's reporting presented the results without overt editorializing, focusing on factual details of the players' rounds and their historical records at Augusta. The articles also emphasized the achievements of McIlroy, noting he became the fourth player to win consecutive Masters titles, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. The coverage did not speculate on causes for the South Korean players' performances beyond statistical details, and no other sources were included in the material provided.