With three holes to play, Tom Kim seemed nicely on his method to punching his ticket to Fort Pines Golf Membership in Colorado, the positioning of subsequent week’s BMW Championship—the second of three legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
He sat at 5-under for the championship via 15 holes, a spherical that included 4 birdies and no bogies to that time. He was among the many high 50 gamers within the FedEx Cup standings, the brink required to qualify for the BMW Championship. Whoever finishes among the many high 50 additionally qualifies for the eight Signature Occasions subsequent yr, a large incentive for these competing within the FedEx St. Jude Championship to play nicely.
Kim didn’t have his finest stuff this week, not contending however as an alternative jockeying for place among the many high 50. He appeared to have completed so, till the ultimate three holes, wherein he made three straight sixes. A bogey on the simple par-5 16 served as a harbinger of issues to return. Kim doubled each 17 and 18 to complete at 1-under for the championship and 51st within the FedEx Cup standings. He discovered the water to the left of the green on the 72nd gap, which sealed his destiny.
“I used to be really cruising. A bogey on 16 price me quite a bit,” Kim stated.
“Then hit an excellent drive after which one other actually poor missed shot, simply anyplace left is ok and missed it proper. I knew I wanted one thing particular on the final, and I wanted to hit an excellent drive, however the wind switched, and the wind began to select up, and it didn’t cowl.”
Kim’s unlucky end opened the door for Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley to sneak on because the Fiftieth-ranked participant.
“This season has simply been—it’s simply been like this. I’ve performed actually good golf after which had some robust finishes. I really feel like 2024 has actually kicked me within the butt. However I’ve gotten so a lot better. I’ve fought actually arduous simply to get myself many this example. I used to be 90-something earlier than we went on this run, and it appears to be like like I’m going to overlook by one. However it’s what it’s,” Kim stated.
“I advised myself earlier than at this time that if I didn’t play nicely, I actually felt like I used to be going to complete 51. I advised myself, if that occurs, I’ve completed every part I may to be inside that high 50 and hopefully give myself an opportunity on the Tour Championship. However I couldn’t, and I’m going to sit up for a extremely good low season as a result of I’m fairly drained.”
Kim has each proper to be drained. He performed for 9 straight weeks between the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the Rocket Mortgage Traditional, a stretch that included a runner-up end to Scottie Scheffler on the Vacationers Championship. Then, over the previous month, Kim tied for fifteenth on the Scottish Open, missed the lower at Royal Troon, and threatened the rostrum in Paris with a solo eighth end—all earlier than this week in Memphis. It has been a whirlwind of a season for the proficient 22-year-old.
“It’s been an extended highway. Mentally, I simply don’t suppose I used to be sharp sufficient for these previous few weeks,” Kim admitted.
“Fifty-one, 52, 50, it’s not going to matter. I’m simply wanting ahead to getting some relaxation and preparing for subsequent yr.”
Kim will play for the Worldwide Group at this yr’s Presidents Cup, the event wherein he gained great notoriety two years in the past at Quail Hole. However he sounded indecisive about whether or not or not he’ll compete recurrently this fall. The lengthy, arduous highway of crisscrossing the nation—and, in some instances, oceans—appears to have caught as much as him.
“This yr has been actually robust for me personally. I went via a variety of modifications,” Kim stated.
“I performed some good golf and had in all probability 5 dangerous rounds that price me presumably one high 5, one high 10 and one thing like this. First spherical, second spherical I believe I completed 5-over my previous couple of holes. When issues aren’t going your method, issues aren’t going your method. It exhibits you in a good yr, this might have been like a thirtieth as an alternative of a 51st.”
He nonetheless stored it optimistic within the wake of defeat, one that may sting for fairly a while. However relaxation assured that Kim will bounce again in 2025, maybe with a serious victory.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
