After a dramatic title defense in Las Vegas, Tom Kim celebrated by heading straight back to his hotel room and treating himself with a chocolate bar.
As one of the game's brightest stars, the 21 year old golfer comes out on top after a nail biting final round with Adam Hadwin to retain the Shriners Children's Open on Sunday, edging the Canadian golfer by exactly one stroke. Having shot nine under 62 on Saturday, a final round of 66 was just enough for Kim to clinch the $1.512 million winners prize.
Easing to a three shot victory at the same event, this makes Kim the first golfer to defend the Shriners Children's Open since Jim Furyk in 1999, and the youngest golfer to win three PGA Tour titles since Tiger Woods
“Watching Tom Kim’s performance to be the youngest golfer to win three titles since Tiger Woods at 21 is truly impressive and has much more to come in the future” says NHS junior Aj Stinson said
After Sunday's success, Kim’s win moves him up five places to a career high world No. 11 in the rankings. Kim has enjoyed the rise in the rankings since turning pro in 2018, not placed inside the top 20 at a major before 2023, Kim tied for 16th at the Masters, improved to tie for eighth at the U.S. Open before finishing runner up against Brian Harman at the Open Championship back in July.
“Certainly because I'm 21, I’m not the oldest guy out there, and the kids here are even younger than me. I feel like I’m kinda close in age with them, and if there's anything I can do to just inspire one kid out there, it would mean the world” Kim said.
Adam Hadwin had looked for a second PGA Tour title before disaster struck at the par five, 16th hole. With his approach shot splashing into the water. Hadwin limited the damage with a bogey but with Kim going unblemished through the back nine, but even a closing birdie wouldn’t be enough to match Kim
“I completely whiffed it, up and out of it, and unfortunately one of my worst swings of the day at the least opportune time” Hadwin said
“After the performance that Tom Kim has put and the history that he has made, should make him a legend in the sport and I can’t wait to keep seeing him succeed in this sport,” NHS junior Zachery Clouden said
Despite the history that Kim made, Lexi Thompson came close to being the first woman to make the cut at a PGA Tour event in 78 years, falling three strokes short of moving on to the Shriners Children's Open weekends rounds. The 11 time LPGA Tour winner teed off as the seventeenth woman to ever participate in the PGA tour.
After opening with a two over 73, Thompson roared back on Friday, shooting for 69, but saw her hopes of making the weekend low by two costly bogeys across the final five holes “ It’s an amazing feeling not only to have my parents out here to support me but just to be able to come here and follow my dreams is something I have wanted to do since playing against my brothers growing up,” Thompson said
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