Once 25 consecutive tournaments cut, Michael Kim is the hottest on the PGA these days
Once 25 consecutive tournaments cut, Michael Kim is the hottest on the PGA these days
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As soon as he won the title by an eight-par margin, he went through a slump. He passed the cut only once in two seasons. He also failed to make the cut in 25 consecutive competitions.
Korean-American Michael Kim (31) has been one of the mysteries of the PGA Tour. He suddenly lost his way after winning the John Deere Classic by a landslide in 2018. "It was a technical problem, but it was a mental problem," said Michael Weaver, who was a college colleague. His world ranking was well over 1,000th, and naturally, he was pushed to the second part of the tour.
Michael Kim shot a 5-under 67 in the third round of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Golf Course in Orlando on the 9th (Korea time). He shot two eagles at the Arnold Palmer Course, which he believes should make the course difficult.
It is the first time that Michael Kim had two eagles in a single round while playing 642 rounds at the PGA Tour. He has improved his distance (average 305 yards) and is full of confidence.
At the 577-yard par-5 12th hole, he attempted a 2 on from the fairway bunker and sent it to the green side bunker, before holing a 36-yard bunker shot. "Robert McIntyre, who I played with, told me, 'There's nothing I can't do,' but that's what happened," Michael Kim said.
Michael Kim will play in the final round tied for fifth place by five shots against first-runner Colin Morikawa. He says he will not fret about winning the championship.
Michael Kim has not just done well in this year's event. He is the hottest player on the PGA Tour in the early days of this season. He returned to the first part of the tour in 2023 and failed to show any notable performance, but tied for 13th in the top 10 two in the recent four games. They competed for the title at the Phoenix Open (second place), the Cognizant Classic (sixth place), and the Genesis Invitational (tied for 13th place).
He is currently ranked 16th in FedEx, but if his ranking ends, he can rise to 10th. With this momentum, he can participate in the Ryder Cup, which is the dream of American golfers. Michael Kim will join the elite ranks again, just like he did when he was an amateur.
Born in Seoul and immigrated to the U.S., Kim participated in the Walker Cup, a continental competition against Europe, as a U.S. amateur player in 2013 when he was a student at U.S.C. Berkeley. Michael Kim was the ace in the U.S. national team with Justin Thomas and Max Homa.
He won the Haskins Prize, the university's best player award, and the Jack Nicklaus Prize, the top university player award, at the same time, and led his team to victory with three wins and no losses in the Walker Cup. However, once he became a professional, he had difficulties after winning the championship.
Michael Kim said, "After winning my first championship in 2018, I had some time to relax and started getting twisted while correcting my swing. When hope disappeared, I tried to hold a swing together to find Sean Foley. I tried for a long time, but I changed the position of the ball late last year and it was an opportunity to solve the last puzzle."
Shaun Foley, who once teased Tiger Woods, is also a teacher who helped Ahn Byeong-hoon, who was in a slump. "Since I taught many Korean players, I should open a lesson school in Korea," Foley said jokingly. "At one point, I couldn't pass the cut no matter what. I am much more grateful than others when I think about it," said Michael Kim, who is fluent in Korean. 안전놀이터