Tom Kim eyes rare three-peat at Shriners Children's Open

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Tom Kim eyes rare three-peat at Shriners Children's Open

Published: 17 Oct. 2024, 09:23 Updated: 17 Oct. 2024, 15:58

Tom Kim follows an approach shot from the first fairway during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on Aug. 15 in Memphis, Tennessee. [GETTY IMAGES]

Tom Kim will chase a rare three-peat on the PGA Tour this week when he defends the Shriners Children’s Open title he won last year and in 2022, and he is figuring how to top his celebration if he can notch another historic milestone in his blossoming career.

The 22-year-old Kim successfully defended at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas a year ago to become the fourth youngest player in history to win three times on the PGA Tour. A return to his favorite hunting ground has him relishing at the opportunity to become the first golfer since Steve Stricker (John Deere Classic 2009, 2010, 2011) to win the same event in three consecutive years, and only the 10th player to three-peat since World War II.

“I think it's a very, very cool week just to be even having a chance of that. I think that's the coolest part,” said Kim ahead of the fourth PGA Tour Fall event.

“My last event was at the Presidents Cup, so game is feeling really good … just trying to be really focused on my game plan and try to have a shot on Sunday would be amazing,” added the Korean, who posted a 1-2-1 (win-loss-tie) record at Royal Montreal.

International team member Tom Kim celebrates a birdie putt on the seventh hole during a first round four-ball match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal on Sept. 26. [AP/YONHAP]

While his rapid rise to fame has hit headlines around the world over the past two years, Kim went viral on social media and also featured in the Netflix series Full Swing after revealing how he intended to celebrate after accomplishing another Vegas victory last year.

“I’m going to go back home and I’m going to finish a piece of chocolate that I wanted to finish, so I’m going to do that,” Kim said a year ago. “And then I’m going to order room service, and I’m going to go to bed. Then I’m going to wake up at 3 and take my 6:30 a.m. flight. It’s going to be exciting.”

When asked about that celebration, Kim explained: “It was a very, very, just a very pure, honest reply from me. That's exactly what I did. (Chocolate) Definitely tasted very, very sweet. I can still remember it. It was back-to-back and having that last piece, because I saved it on Saturday night, it was very sweet.

“I don't have a piece of chocolate with me this week, but we'll find something else.”

He fired weekend scores of 62-66 en route to both victories, beating Patrick Cantlay and Matthew NeSmith in 2022 by three strokes and Adam Hadwin by one last season. Kim enjoys the track at TPC Summerlin, which often yields low scores, as it fits his straight-shooting and attacking style of play.

Tom Kim plays his shot from the 18th tee during the final round of the Shriners Children's Open at TPC Summerlin on Oct. 9, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. [AFP/YONHAP]

“If you plot yourself well the first 12 holes, you get to 13, it's a very, very accessible par-5, really short par-3, drivable par-4, and another par-5 right away. So there is a lot of birdies out there. Good ball striking gets rewarded. The greens are so perfect and stays on your line,” said Kim, who tees up in the first two rounds alongside the last two FedExCup Fall winners, Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty.

Kim enters the week ranked 55th in the FedExCup points list, with the 51st-60th ranked player after FedExCup Fall qualifying for the first two Signature events in 2025. He registered two top-10s this season, a T4 at the RBC Canadian Open and a playoff loss to Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship, during a nine-week stretch which he embarked in mid-season in an effort to find his ‘A’ game.

“I think 2024 was a big learning step to my career. I was dealt some tough situations and I thought I handled it as good as I actually played really well and I made nine, 10 changes before I started that nine-week stretch. I felt like I put my head down and got to work. Definitely trended very well at the end the year,” said Kim.

“It sucks to finish 51st (to miss an exemption into every Signature event in 2025), but from about I was before that, I couldn't do anything better. Presidents Cup, I felt like was a really good week for me, because going off that stretch and taking four weeks off and then playing Presidents Cup at a high, intense level, to be able to perform pretty well in my eyes, was good to see."

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