Sungjae Im held onto his lead at the Valspar Championship after rallying on the back nine to edge ahead of David Lipsky. The 27-year-old South Korean player, returning from a wrist injury that caused two missed cuts, shot a two-under 69 to reach nine under par at the Copperhead course in Florida.

Im had a challenging front nine with three bogeys and two birdies, but recovered with birdies on the par-five 11th and par-four 12th holes. He secured his one-stroke lead with a seven-foot birdie putt on the par-three 17th, holding off Lipsky who shot 65 in the first group of the day.

Defending champion Viktor Hovland missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 75, while other notable players like Brooks Koepka (tied for 10th) and Matt Fitzpatrick (five under) are in contention. The Copperhead course proved firm and fast, with Chandler Blanchet and Doug Ghim also at seven under par.