S. Korean Im Sung-jae becomes top-ranked Asian man in world golf rankings

South Korean golfer Im Sung-jae is now the highest-ranked Asian player on the men's world rankings.

Im climbed two spots to reach a career-high No. 21 on the latest rankings released Monday. The rise came on the heels of Im's third consecutive top-10 finish on the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Forth Worth, Texas.

It was the first PGA tournament following a three-month pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Rankings had been frozen during the tour's hiatus.

Im has jumped past Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who fell a notch to No. 23, to become the top-ranked Asian. Im is the first South Korean to have that distinction since Choi Kyoung-ju in November 2012.

Im, the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, has finished in the top 10 in each of his past three tournaments, a streak that began with his first career victory at the Honda Classic in March.

Im leads the FedEx Cup points with 1,526 after 15 events, with world No. 3 Justin Thomas trailing him at 1,471 points.

On the money list, Im is in second place behind Thomas, with $4.04 million for the South Korean and $4.39 million for the American. (Yonhap)