The Sentry 2025 is heating up and Sung Jae Im is on the cusp of something special but he may not get another perfect chance to end his PGA Tour winless curse. As it stands, Hideki Matsuyama is dominating the leaderboard with a whopping 27 under par followed closely by Collin Morikawa at 26 under par. Thomas Detry is also in the mix at 22 under par while Im is lurking just behind at 21 under par. With the competition fierce and the stakes high, Im needs to bring his A-game if he wants to finally break through and claim his first PGA Tour victory. Here are three main reasons why this might be Im’s last best chance to end his winless curse.

The Kapalua Plantation Course is turning out to be a blessing

The Kapalua Plantation Course is proving to be a birdie paradise, with the pros taking full advantage of the favorable conditions to post some seriously low scores. Weatherman Guy Hagi nailed his forecast, predicting a birdie bonanza on Friday, and boy, did he deliver – the winds died down, and the field went on a scoring spree. Players like Sepp Straka, who made seven birdies in a row and Maverick McNealy, JT Poston, and Davis Thompson, who combined for a staggering 27-under par are showing just how gettable the course is. With the field averaging some of the lowest scores on the PGA Tour, it’s clear that Kapalua is the place to be for low scoring, making it easier for players to catch up with leader Hideki Matsuyama, who’s currently sitting pretty at 16-under 130.

Sungjae Im is in his best form

Sungjae Im is absolutely on fire at The Sentry, carding a scorching third-round 62 that matches his lowest round in an incredible 182 starts on the PGA TOUR, marking his fourth 62 on TOUR, and it’s clear that he’s in top form, surpassing his performance from last year’s Sentry, where he finished T5 with a score of -25, and with this impressive play, Im is poised for a strong finish, building momentum and confidence on the course, making it exciting to see him in this kind of form.

Big names are missing from the field

The Sentry is missing some of the biggest names in golf, and it’s not just a coincidence – Scottie Scheffler, the World No.1, is out due to a freak accident on Christmas Day that required hand surgery, and he’s not expected back until later this month at the AmEx. Rory McIlroy is also skipping the event, opting instead to start his year in the Middle East, while Tommy Fleetwood is gearing up for the Team Cup next week before heading to Dubai. And let’s not forget Jordan Spieth, who’s currently recovering from wrist surgery and has no return date in sight. With all these big names missing, Sungjae Im is seeing a huge opportunity to finally break his winless streak, with less competition from the world’s top golfers.