Im Sung-jae falls short of first Asian Tour win, loses in playoff to Taiwan's Wang Wei-hsuan

Im Sung-jae finished runner-up at the Asian Tour's SJM Macau Open (purse: $1 million) after losing in a playoff.

Playing Sunday at the Macau Golf & Country Club (par 70, 6,713 yards) in Macau, China, Im carded six birdies and three bogeys for a 3-under 67, finishing at 17-under 263 — level with Wang Wei-hsuan of Taiwan.

In the playoff on the 18th hole (par 5), Im could only manage par while Wang made birdie to claim the title. Wang had finished runner-up at the same event last year, losing in a playoff to Germany's Dominic Foos, but this year he got the better of Im to take the title.

Im had bogeyed the 16th hole (par 4) with a three-putt, allowing Wang to draw level, before bouncing back with a birdie on the 17th (par 3) after sticking his tee shot to within 2 meters of the pin — heading to the last hole with a one-stroke lead. Wang then holed out from 20 yards for a chip-in eagle on the 18th to force the playoff despite Im's birdie.

In the playoff on the 18th (par 5), Im's second shot left him 20 yards short of the green, but his chip-in eagle attempt ran 4 meters past the hole, leaving him with par.

Wang, facing a similar distance on his third shot, rolled the ball to within 50 centimeters of the cup and tapped in for birdie to win. "All I could think about when the playoff started was last year," Wang said. "I'm so happy to win like this. It means even more to do it in front of my wife and family."

Im had been chasing his first Asian Tour victory at this event, but it was not to be. A win would have lifted him inside the world's top 50 and secured a berth at next year's Masters Tournament. Im tees up this week at the Genesis Championship, a co-sanctioned KPGA Tour and DP World Tour event, at Ujeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.