Chris Kim followed up his opening round of 68 with a 67 to move to seven under par in his PGA Tour debut. Photo: Reuters/Raymond Carlin III
Chris Kim will fly back to Surrey on Sunday evening, focusing his attention on his English exam, the first of his GCSEs. He will take the exam next Thursday. However, after his record-breaking exploits on the PGA Tour, it might have been more fitting if history were the first for the remarkable 16-year-old.
Kim shot 70 on Saturday at the CJ Cup. in Dallas to move up to the under-eight group, and it says a lot about his performance in Dallas that he was among the groups featured on US television programs.
The Epsom College student will not be competing for the title in the final round, but he has already left a lasting mark on the Byron Nelson event. By outsourcing players like Jordan Spieth and qualifying for the weekend, Kim became the youngest European to qualify for a PGA Tour event and the fifth youngest of any nationality.
America was quick to react to his runner-up finish at the 2021 Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Championships and detailed his backstory. His parents are both former professionals, although his biggest influence on fairways was his mother. Ji Hyun Seo played on the LPGA Tour in the '90s and has been his coach since he first started playing at age 5.
She is at TPC Craig Ranch with husband Yong Ki Kim, who appeared on the Fiji Tour – and they can be nothing if not proud partners. In fact, Young Ki started a wild celebration when his son holed out two feet on the par-three fourth, although he later admitted that he momentarily believed it might have been a hole-in-one.
Many were surprised when CJ Group brought in Kim – a teenager outside the top 400 in the amateur rankings – even though the Korean conglomerate knew all about the talent they sponsored last year, and the reigning British Boys champion more than lived up to the faith.
Certainly, his performance on the greens made him look right at home, as Kim admitted after a round that included four birdies and three bogeys.
“This week I realized how good my short game is and how sometimes I can rely on it, especially on days like today when I didn’t hit my irons well,” he said. “My goal was to qualify and I did, but I just want to finish as high as possible. Golf is fun for me, and I really enjoyed the experience.”
Kim should still have at least one goal in Texas: beat 16-year-old Spieth. In 2010, Spieth made his PGA Tour debut at the same tournament at the same age, although a few months older, and finished 16th. Five years later, Spieth won The Masters.
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