Boys just want to have fun at Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Golf

Boys just want to have fun at Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Published: 19 Apr. 2023, 13:12 Updated: 19 Apr. 2023, 16:59

Tom Kim, left, celebrates his hole-winning putt with Kim Si-woo against Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele during the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 24, 2022. [GETTY IMAGES]

Korean duo Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim, also known as Kim Joo-hyung, have only one objective at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans — to have fun. And lots of it.

The Kims made an 11th hour decision to compete as a team at this week’s $8.6 million PGA Tour stop at TPC Louisiana and are now pumped to challenge for the tournament, which features 80 two-man teams competing in Four-Ball and Foursomes over the four days of competition.

“I’m looking forward to playing with Tom this week,” said Kim Si-woo, a four-time PGA Tourwinner. “We had so much fun together at the Presidents Cup last year and with this week’s format, I think we will have a good time together. We get on really well and our games click. Our intention is to just enjoy ourselves here and hopefully we will bring the best out of each other again.”

When Tom Kim made his way onto the PGA Tourlast season where he has since won twice, the 20-year-old rising star hung out with Kim Si-woo in Dallas so much that they have become firm friends. In the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow last September, they teamed up in Saturday’s Four-Ball session and produced one of the great wins with a 1-up victory over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who are the defending champions at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

“Obviously we talked about this way before,” said Tom Kim, who is presently 15th on the FedExCup points list. “We were both kind of thinking about it but when the schedule came out, it was a bit tough and we were planning on taking the week off. Both of us didn’t have the best week last week and we were like saying ‘let’s go out and have some fun'."

Both players mssed the halfway cut at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town last week which extended their spell without a top-10 since January. Tom Kim won the Shriners Children’s Open last October while Si Woo triumph in the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.

Tom Kim, who is seven years younger than Kim Si-woo, said their games are so similar that it simply made sense for them to be partners again.

“We’ve had success in the Presidents Cup, so we knew we are a good duo. Kind of happened and kind of happy, and I think we’ll just go out to have fun this week. That’s the biggest thing,” said Tom Kim, who enjoyed two top-10s at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express in January.

“We don’t really get team events and our games are pretty similar. If you look at our stats, our driving distance or whatever it is, our strength and stuff, we’re kind of close and that’s’ what great teams are and that’s how great partnerships work because of how close we are too. The experience at the Presidents Cup will help us this week as the trust and believe is there.”

At Quail Hollow, Tom Kim produced two special moments on the 18th hole on that memorable Saturday afternoon Four-Ball match alongside Kim Si-woo. First, he rifled a stunning 2 iron approach and then rolled in a curling 10-foot birdie putt for a vital point which sparked wild celebrations. It kept the International Team in the match against a star-studded U.S. Team, which eventually won the Presidents Cup 17.5 to 12.5 points.

Kim Si-woo was the International Team’s leading performer with three points during the week, including a stunning Singles win over Justin Thomas while Tom Kim, who was making his debut, delivered two points which included a Foursomes win alongside Lee Kyoung-hoon against Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.

Other Korean stars in this week’s field include An Byeong-hun playing with Kim Seong-hyeon, Kang Sung-hoon with Sangmoon Bae, Im Sung-jae partnering with Keith Mitchell and Noh Seung-yul alongside Michael Kim. Other Asian contenders include China’s Marty Zecheng Dou and Zac Blair and China’s Carl Yuan with Tyson Alexander.

Collin Morikawa with Max Homa, Sam Burns and Billy Horschel and Justin Suh with Sahith Theegala will start the week as contenders as well. The halfway cut on Friday will see the leading 33 teams and ties progressing into the weekend rounds.

Korea’s K.J. Choi and Noh won the Zurich Classic in 2002 and 2014 respectively when the event’s format was individual strokeplay, before it changed to the team format in 2017.

BY CHUA CHOO CHIANG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]