"I have to try for 100"… Im Sung-jae's career earnings hit $37.1 million, second among Koreans

Im Sung-jae, in his 8th year on the PGA Tour, has passed $37.1 million in career official earnings. However, whether he has 'topped 75 billion won' depends on how the total is counted.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

$37,103,356. That is Im Sung-jae's (28) career official earnings as tallied by the PGA TOUR official profile as of August 6, 2026. At 1,400 won per dollar, it comes to about 51.9 billion won. Yet the phrase 'career earnings topped 75 billion won' is reportedly being used. That is because what counts as prize money differs from one tally to another.

Im Sung-jae's career earnings of $37.1 million: where did '75 billion won' come from?

The issue comes down to one thing: what was included in the '75 billion won.' The PGA TOUR official tally and CBS Sports' career earnings table both agree on $37,103,356. When two separate sources report the same figure, it means there is no dispute on an official-earnings basis. At 1,400 won per dollar, that is about 51.9 billion won.

There is also a figure on the other side. Spotrac, a site that tracks contracts and income, listed Im's career cash earnings as of March 2, 2026 at $49,527,405. That figure adds FedExCup bonuses and major prize money, so at the same exchange rate it comes to about 69.3 billion won. 75 billion won has not yet been confirmed by any tally.

Korean players' PGA Tour earnings ranking: Kim Si-woo 40th, Im Sung-jae 43rd

Lining them up makes the position clear. On CBS Sports' career earnings table, Im ranks 43rd overall (as of August 6, 2026). And among Korean players, he is not No. 1. In June 2025, Maeil Business Newspaper reported Im as the top Korean in career earnings, but in the August 2026 table Kim Si-woo is ahead.

Rank	Name	Career official earnings
40th	Kim Si-woo	$38,311,684
43rd	Im Sung-jae	$37,103,356
51st	Choi Kyoung-ju	$32,803,596

The gap to Kim Si-woo is $1,208,328. That is a margin that could flip with the result of a single tournament, so the ranking can change again at any time. Below him, the gap to Choi Kyoung-ju ($32,803,596) is $4.3 million. In his 8th year since debut, Im has landed just above a symbolic mark in Korean men's golf.

Im Sung-jae is 28 years old, ranked 79th in the world with 51 top-10s

Born on March 30, 1998, Im is 28 years old by international age as of August 6, 2026. He earned his tour card by finishing first on the money list of the 2018 Web.com (now Korn Ferry) Tour, and won Rookie of the Year in his 2019 debut season. He has 2 career wins, at the 2020 Honda Classic and the 2021 Shriners Children's Open, and his best major result is a tie for 2nd at the 2020 Masters.

On military service, the team gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games qualified him for enrollment as an arts and sports personnel member. Maeil Business Newspaper's February 8, 2026 interview had Im saying that he completed basic military training in November 2025 and 544 hours of community service will replace his service, and that he is preparing for the season. The explanation that he adjusted his early-season schedule because of slight pain in his right hand also came at that time.

His world ranking has dropped. According to the OWGR official profile, Im's world ranking is 79th (as of August 6, 2026), down 63 places from his career best of 16th in February 2021. In the 2026 season, he has made 13 cuts in 19 events with 3 top-10s and no wins. He is 57th in the FedExCup rankings.

The other numbers point to consistency. According to Maeil Business Newspaper, Im reached his 50th career top-10 with a tie for 5th at the Truist Championship on May 12, 2026, and as of August 6 his career top-10s have grown to 51. His 2025 season earnings were $5,082,896, about 7.5 billion won. It was a season in which he stayed near the top of the money list without a win.

Whether he will reach the Tour Championship for an 8th straight season is still undecided. In a May 2026 interview, Im said his results in the remaining majors and signature events will be the key. Official earnings, the money list and the world ranking change whenever tournament results come in, so the numbers above are only a snapshot of August 6. Im himself has already said which way he is heading: "I've hit 50, so now I should try to get to 100."

Frequently asked questions

Q. How much are Im Sung-jae's career earnings?

Both the PGA TOUR official tally and CBS Sports' career earnings table list $37,103,356 as of August 6, 2026. However, Spotrac's tally, which includes bonuses and major prize money, stands at $49,527,405 as of March 2, 2026, so when someone cites 'career earnings,' you need to check which items were included.

Q. How old is Im Sung-jae, and what is his world ranking?

He was born on March 30, 1998, and is 28 years old by international age as of August 6, 2026. His world ranking per the OWGR official profile is 79th, and his career best is 16th, set on February 7, 2021.

Q. What is Im Sung-jae's military service situation?

According to a February 8, 2026 Maeil Business Newspaper report, he completed basic military training in November 2025 and is replacing his service with 544 hours of community service while continuing his tour schedule.

Related official sites

PGA TOUR Im Sung-jae official profile — original records of career earnings, top-10s and season-by-season results
Official World Golf Ranking Im Sung-jae profile — weekly updated world ranking and career-best position
Titleist Im Sung-jae player page — check his equipment setup
KPGA official website — Korean Tour schedule and domestic tournament records

Lead image · Graphic: Whale SV · Background photo: Wikimedia Commons (Titleist), CC BY-SA 3.0