At TPC Summerlin, the changing room and player eating rooms are separated by a long hallway. There are memorabilia from famous Las Vegas events all over the walls. Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jim Fuyrk, Raymond Floyd, and, towards the end of the corridor, Tom Kim are all depicted in photographs.
It honors Kim’s historic victory at the Shriners Children’s Open in 2022, the first time a player has won twice on the TOUR before turning 21 since Woods.
Kim couldn’t wait to see it. When he went to the club early this year, he realized it wasn’t there. Throughout this tournament week, he also strolled past it every day.
It served as a reminder of his accomplishments to himself. When you win twice on the TOUR in three months, the weight of expectations quickly mounts. It was primarily internal expectations for Kim. When the third victory didn’t come as soon as the others, it hurt much more.
He said, “I always feel like I could do more.”
It served as a motivator too. Inspiration to achieve that elusive third triumph. The desire to make himself and the world aware of his star power is only increasing. Inspiration to hang that picture on the wall.
He declared, “I really don’t want anyone else’s picture up here.”
There won’t be for at least another year. Kim defeated Adam Hadwin by one stroke in the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open after shooting a final-round 66. The fourth-youngest golfer to win three TOUR titles is Kim. At a younger age, only Woods, Horton Smith, and Gene Sarazen achieved the feat.
“This one definitely makes it a better year,” he remarked.
This past summer, Kim felt depressed. He felt uneasy regarding the ball. He started to play more tentatively than he had when he was winning both games and leading the International Presidents Cup team. He wasn’t devoted to either his swing or his plan. He thought he would be competing each week. However, Kim missed three cuts and went three months without finishing in the top 20, save for a T8 at the U.S. Open.
Coach Chris Como, who has worked with players like Woods, Jason Day, and Trevor Immelman, was consulted. Early in July, the two started working on a few little swing adjustments, but mostly on Kim’s perception of his motion and approach.
Como explained, “It was just him finding his sweet spot more often and understanding when things get off, what’s happening, why they’re getting off.”
The collaboration soon produced results. At the Genesis Scottish Open, Kim tied for sixth place. At The Open Championship, she came in second place, but only by six strokes, behind Brian Harman.
Despite being unable to defend his first TOUR title at the Wyndham Championship due to an ankle injury, Kim made a strong comeback in the FedExCup Playoffs, with three strong performances. In the FedExCup, he came in twentieth. Kim, determined to maintain his form, didn’t take much of a vacation. In September, he participated twice in the DP World Tour and finished in the top 15.
That left him feeling satisfied but unfulfilled when he arrived at TPC Summerlin. It had been a successful season by any standard. He had reached the TOUR Championship with ease, having set back-to-back career bests at the majors. However, he was aware that there was still more to be done by those inner expectations.
“You can’t claim that year wasn’t good. However, I feel as though I’ve always had high expectations for myself,” he said.
The carrot to seek was supplied by his defense of his Shriners Children’s Open championship. This season, just three players, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Max Homa, were able to successfully defend their titles. Kim wishes to retain the company. And it was exacerbated by his injury, which prevented him from playing defense at Wyndham.
“I found it really difficult to spend the week of Wyndham at home. I was so determined to at least be healthy and have a shot when I returned to Shriners,” he said.
He was hopeful after opening the competition with back-to-back rounds of 68. The change was cemented on Saturday with the round of 62.
Kim set the tempo early on, birdying three of his first four holes while playing with Hadwin in the penultimate pairing. Kim appeared to be poised to pull away from a tightly packed leaderboard, where 17 players started the round at or within three shots of the lead. However, bogeys at Nos. 5 and 6 dispelled those ideas and allowed about a dozen players to reenter the competition. Kim steadied himself with pars on holes seven and eight, then birdied three of the following five to get even further ahead.
Up until the 16th par-5, Kim was one stroke ahead of Hadwin. Hadwin didn’t carry the water past the green, although he went for the green in two. He made a bogey when Kim made par, and Kim birdied two more to win it on holes 17 and 18.
“It was actually quite intense. I think it was the most emotionally charged championship round I have ever participated in” said Kim.
“Well, it was quite intense. It was probably the most intensely emotional championship round I have ever played in” Kim remarked.
Kim has an intriguing contrast in his demeanor. He does display his age at times. The 21-year-old can’t resist telling a joke when the chance arises. As he was leaving the press conference for his victory, he stopped his agent to gawk at his watch. But sometimes, he acts more sophisticated and adult than his years. Kim’s celebration of the triumph might be the best illustration of the contrast.
When asked how he intended to spend this victory in Las Vegas, Kim smiled, pointing out that he had won this tournament a year prior when he was just 20 years old.
His smile expanded, “I knew I was going to get this question.”
After winning and taking home a $1.5 million pay, what might a 21-year-old accomplish in Las Vegas?
He began , “I’m going to finish a piece of chocolate that I wanted to finish,” adding that he would rather take the 6:30 a.m. flight back home than go home with the red eye. He was going to go back to the hotel, have room service, eat his chocolate, and then turn in early.
“I carried it with me from my European travels. It’s a white chocolate Ferrero Rocher. I love it. It will taste so nice tonight because I’ve stored it.” he said.
It’s unlikely that Kim would have made it to this point in his career without striking a mix of seriousness and humor. As a junior, he was unstoppable everywhere he went, in the Philippines, when he was 13 years old, and then in Thailand, where he was just 15 years old and a professional. Before joining the PGA TOUR, he had won six times globally and was triumphant at every visit.
He works just as hard as Como has ever been. Furthermore, he exudes a steadiness that belies his age. Como stated, “He simply has a great desire to be among the best players, if not the best player in the world.” Joe Skovron, his caddie, said that they must advise Kim to take time off. His perseverance has enabled him to break into the world’s top 20 and establish himself as one of the sport’s youngest success stories.
However, it’s his immature moments, such as the time he split his pants at the Presidents Cup or slipped in the mud at the PGA Championship, that have won him over a devoted following.
“He possesses an intensity that rivals that of everyone around, but he can also crack a smile, have a good time, joke about, and act quite normal,” stated Skovron.
Kim looks like the whole deal thanks to this combo. He signed a contract with Nike for sponsorship. In the magazine GQ, he was featured. He made his debut alongside McIlroy, Woods, and Fred Couples during practice rounds at the Masters.
He presently has three victories.
