Surrey teenager Kris Kim will return to motion on this 12 months’s THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 12 months on from making headlines internationally by turning into the fifth youngest-ever golfer to make the reduce on the PGA Tour.
Kim was simply 16 years, seven months and three days outdated final Could when he reached the ultimate gap of his second spherical, the 552-yard par-5 18th at TPC Craig Ranch, needing par to safe weekend golf.
Was he nervous? “There’s all the time going to be nerves once you’re on the reduce line,” he confessed afterwards, however he was about to show that he has a smart head on younger shoulders.
“It being a par-5 was useful,” he defined of his choice to withstand the temptation to go for the inexperienced in two. As an alternative, he laid as much as wedge distance, knocked his method inside six toes, and drained the putt for the sixth birdie of the spherical.
It was a surprising effort for the Walton Heath-based golfer and he has been granted the chance to again it up as a veteran 17-year-old.
Kim, who was the primary European novice golfer to signal an NIL (Named Picture and Likeness) contract with Beneath Armour and TaylorMade, was additionally the primary novice golfer to be sponsored by the CJ Group who have been delighted by the influence he made on his match debut in Texas.
“We have been very impressed with Kris’s efficiency final 12 months as he broke the file for the youngest participant to make the reduce at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and virtually made a hole-in-one,” mentioned Ethan Kim, Sports activities Advertising and marketing Director of CJ Group.
“We count on THE CJ CUP to be a basis for his persevering with progress and need this match is usually a place the place Kris will get inspiration from different nice gamers.
“We consider that is only a begin for Kris and need him success in his golf profession.”
Kim’s administration group Trinifold Sports are additionally thrilled that he has a second probability to impress on the highest stage.
“Everybody at Trinifold Sports activities want to thank the CJ Group and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan for the exemption to THE CJ CUP in Dallas, Texas,” mentioned Trinifold CEO James Byers. “There isn’t any worth for giving younger individuals alternative and we should always prioritise that in each stroll of life.
“As for the invitation and taking part in within the occasion, Kris shall be conserving the whole lot calm with good preparation and he’ll as soon as once more utilising an distinctive caddie. He’s taking part in golf, that’s it, nothing modifications.”
The caddie in query is Olly Brett, an Englishman who frequently loops for LPGA star Rose Zhang, and he was a useful information for his youthful compatriot 12 months in the past.
“It was fairly intense how laborious Olly labored and helped me,” Kim mentioned after studying of the second invitation. “Out on the course he saved me relaxed with jokes and chats that had nothing to do with golf.”
A a number of winner at age-group stage, together with the 2023 R&A Boys Newbie Championship, Kim was undefeated in Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup triumph in Rome forward of the primary occasion at GC Marco Simone two years in the past.
PGA TOUR DEBUT
That have in entrance of big galleries proved very important forward of his PGA Tour debut. “It was such a cool expertise in Italy,” he mentioned. “Due to the adrenalin rush I hit the ball a lot additional than regular and I used to be prepared for that in Texas.”
The teen was imagined to be revising for his GCSEs between rounds 12 months in the past so how did he do within the exams? “I did all proper with my outcomes apart from Spiritual Research,” he admitted. “I revised the fully unsuitable topic for that one!”
He’ll proceed to be impressed by his mum Ji-Hyun Suh who was one of many early Korean pioneers on the LPGA within the Nineties. That mentioned, the pair had a light-hearted disagreement about how nicely he would have carried out on this 12 months’s Masters.
After watching the thrilling and inspirational finale from his mattress he revealed that he and his mum had been discussing how he would have fared behind the winner Rory McIlroy. “She thought I’d miss the reduce,” he mentioned with amusing. “Thanks mum! I believe I may have performed the weekend!”
And that, in fact, is the hope and expectation on his return to TPC Craig Ranch.
“First up, I’m making my senior debut for England towards Spain which shall be nice aggressive preparation and an actual honour,” he mentioned. “And from there I fly to Texas. It was a lot enjoyable the primary time I simply need to expertise all of it once more – all 4 days of it.”
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas, Texas takes place 1-4 Could 2025.
