John Deere Classic
Silvis, IL
Second- and third-round leader and World No. 473 Michael Kim enjoyed a bogey-free, 5-under-par 31-35=66 in Sunday’s final round at TPC Deere Run for a 72-hole tally of 27-under 257, good for an eight-shot win over Francesco Molinari (64), Joel Dahmen (65), Sam Ryder (66) and Bronson Burgoon (69).
The 25-year-old, a pre-tourney 250/1 outright, claims his first PGA TOUR title in 84 events (82 pro) and records his first professional win on any level. He also sets a new tournament-scoring record, eclipsing 2010 champ Steve Stricker’s 26-under 258, and did so one day after his celebrating his birthday.
The win comes in Kim’s 23rd start of the season, is a fourth top 25 and first top 10, and brushes aside a previous-best T15 at the Zurich Classic – teamed with Andrew Putnam. His previous best individually was T18 at the FedEx St. Jude four starts ago.
Overall, the UC-Berkeley product nets his second career top 10, bettering a T3 at the 2017 Safeway.
He’s the second straight South Korean-born American to win in as many weeks, following Kevin Na’s five-shot win at The Greenbrier, and the third South Korean native to win in the last two seasons, joining Na and Si Woo Kim at the 2017 PLAYERS.
Kim led by three at the midpoint and by five after 54 holes. His 54-hole total of 22-under was the lowest score to par of the season and the lowest aggregate (191). The last player with a 22-under total after 54 holes was Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony. Thomas is also the last player with a lower aggregate at the three-quarter pole (188), also at the Sony. By the way, Thomas’ 188 matched the low 54-hole aggregate in TOUR history with Stricker (2010 Deere).
FUN FACT: Kim’s eight-shot romp ties the largest margin of victory this season with Molinari (QL National) and Dustin Johnson (Sentry TOC). His 27-under total matches Thomas (2017 Sony) as the lowest score to par in the last two seasons.
After kicking off with 63-64-64, Kim led playing competitor Burgoon (by five) and landed 11 (of 14) fairways and 13 greens in regulation, losing 0.720 tee-to-green. He carded five birdies, including a trip-birdie start at holes 1-3, posting 1.615 putts per GIR and 2.974 SG: Putting with 26 total putts. The Houston resident’s split featured four conversions from between 12 and 24 feet, capping with a 21-footer at the par-3 16th.
For the week, he tallied 30 birdies (No. 1 in total birdies), versus just three bogeys. Kim also ranked No. 1 in Par-4 Scoring (3.59), Proximity to Hole (24’11”), putts per GIR (1.533), the All-Around (57), and SG: Putting (13.514). See his full stats at the bottom.
Note: Kim’s 13.514 in SG: Putting is the highest SGP this season by a winner and highest in the past two seasons, supplanting Russell Henley’s 12.514 at last season’s Houston Open.
With the win, Kim earns a 2-year exemption on TOUR and a host of invites, including the 2018 PGA Championship, 2018 WGC-Bridgestone, 2019 Sentry TOC, 2019 PLAYERS and 2019 Masters.
He also claimed the final spot into this coming week’s Open Championship, where he’ll make his tourney debut. Kim’s only other major championship appearance was T17 at the 2013 U.S. Open (Merion GC) as an amateur.
Key Stretches:
Kim closed out R3 with four straight birdies en route to his third consecutive 64 or better. He then opened R4 with a hat-trick of circles for seven birdies in a row and seven-shot advantage.
Thru seven holes, Kim led Matt Jones and Burgoon by eight. He added his fourth birdie of the round at eight (from 27 inches), now nine clear of Molinari, Harold Varner III and Burgoon. TURN: 4-under 31, nine up with nine to play. #GameOver
Wins by Season:
- 2018: 1 (third season on TOUR)
- 2017: 0
- 2016: 0
FUN FACT: In 84 career starts, Kim now has a 2.3% chance of landing a top 10 and a 2.3% chance of landing a top 3.
Kim’s Career:
Starts: 84
Cuts Made: 52 (61.9%)
Top 25s: 15 (17.8%)
Top 10s: 2 (2.3%)
Top 3s: 2 (2.3%)
Wins: 1 (1.19%)
Kim’s Season:
Starts: 23
Cuts Made: 9
Top 25s: 4
Top 10s: 1
Top 5s: 1
Wins: 1
Season Form: 1-MC-MC-MC-18-MC-MC
FedExCup: 56th (UP 40)
OWGR: 215th (UP 258)
FUN FACT: Kim arrived off three consecutive missed cuts, six in his last seven individual starts. Through 36 (non-team) events, He’s just the fourth player this season to MC in the start prior to winning (Watson, Travelers; McIlroy, API; Armour, Sanderson Farms).
FUN FACT: Kim is the 26th straight winner this season with either 0 or 1 week off prior to their wins. In total, 32 (of 36) event winners fall into this category. #NoLongLayoffsPlease
21
21 (of 36 non-team) winners this season had a top-25 finish the start prior (58.3%):
Kim? No: MC (Greenbrier)
11
11 (of 36) winners this season had a top-10 finish the start prior (30.5%)
Kim? No: MC (Greenbrier)
Final Leaderboard (pre-tourney odds outright):
1- (-27) Michael Kim (250/1)
T2- (-19) Francesco Molinari (9/1); fave
T2- (-19) Joel Dahmen (80/1)
T2- (-19) Sam Ryder (150/1)
T2- (-19) Bronson Burgoon (66/1)
FUN FACT: Kim is fifth triple-digit winner this season, first since Andrew Landry (125/1) at Valero. The highest odds-winner is Ted Potter, Jr. (300/1) at Pebble Beach.
Field Scoring Average:
This was the 47th Deere, 19th and 19th consecutive at TPC Deere Run:
Yardage: 7,268
Par: 71 (35-36)
Cumulative scoring averages:
R1: 69.66
R2: 69.84 (contested over 2-day period)
R3: 68.99 (preferred lies)
R4: 68.25
Total: 69.38
Kim: 63-64-64-66 for 19.741 SG: Total
Kim’s Position by Round:
R1: 2 (1 back)
R2: 1
R3: 1
Kim at the Deere:
Starts: 3
Cuts Made: 3
Top 25s: 1
Top 10s: 1
Top 5s: 1
Wins: 1
Deere Form: 1-71-47
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Through 36 non-team events this season:
12 winners were in their 20s (Kim: 25)
19 were in their 30s
5 were in their 40s
Note: Kim is first 20-something winner since Koepka (28) at the U.S. Open four weeks ago.
Draw:
A total of 82 pros from a field of 156 pros made the 36-hole cut of 3-under 139:
42 (of 71) EARLY/late; 6 WD; 1 DQ
40 (of 74) LATE/early; 3 WD; 1 DQ
Secondary Cut: 4-under 209; 71 players (11 MDFs)
11 players finished in the top 10:
EARLY/late (5):
Michael Kim (Won); Bronson Burgoon (T2); Harold Varner III (6th); Chad Campbell (T7); Keith Mitchell (T7)
LATE/early (6):
Francesco Molinari (T2); Joel Dahmen (T2); Sam Ryder (T2); Kevin Streelman (T7); John Huh (T7); Andres Romero (T7)
FUN FACT: Kim is the third straight EARLY/late winner of the Deere and fifth in the last six editions (Spieth, 2015).
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25 (of 36 non-team) tourneys this season with a traditional draw:
Winners:
EARLY/late: 14 (Kim)
LATE/early: 11
Leader/co-leaders by Round:
R1: Steve Wheatcroft (finished T12): 0-for-3 as 18-hole leader/co-leader
R2: Michael Kim (Won): 1-for-1 as 36-hole leader/co-leader
R3: Michael Kim (Won): 1-for-1 as 54-hole leader/co-leader
FUN FACT: Kim converts his first career 36- and 54-hole leads into victory. The only other time he led/co-led after any round was following R2 of the 2018 Zurich, teamed with Putnam.
FUN FACT: In the last five Deere’s, Kim is the fourth 54-hole (sole) leader to go on to win. Patrick Rodgers was sole-leader last year and finished runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau.
Note: Defender DeChambeau WD during R1 w/ a shoulder injury (3-over thru 15 holes).
Low Rounds:
R1: 62: Steve Wheatcroft; career low
R2: 62: Bronson Burgoon; career low
R3: 63: Tyler Duncan; career low
R4: 64: Zach Johnson, Francesco Molinari
Bogey-free Rounds:
R1: (10): Steve Wheatcroft (62); Andres Romero (64); Parker McLachlin (66); Nick Hardy (66); John Merrick (66); Broc Everett (67); Conrad Shindler (67); Billy Hurley III (67); Nick Watney (68); Richy Werenski (68)
R2: (8): Bronson Burgoon (62); Matt Jones (63); Robert Garrigus (64); Harold Varner III (65); Dominic Bozzelli (65); Mackenzie Hughes (65); Hunter Mahan (67); Patrick Rodgers (69)
R3: (8): Scott Brown (65); Matt Jones (66); Keith Mitchell (66); C.T. Pan (66); Sam Ryder (67); Chris Stroud (67); Mackenzie Hughes (68); J.T. Poston (68)
R4: (10): Zach Johnson (64); Francesco Molinari (64); John Merrick (65); Michael Kim (66); Scott Brown (67); Parker McLachlin (68); Patrick Rodgers (68); Vaughn Taylor (68); Austin Cook (69)
Multiple Bogey-free Rounds (7 players):
Brown, Jones, McLachlin, Hughes, Merrick, Rodgers, Shindler (x2)
Odds Favorite(s) Outright:
Dating to the beginning of the 2016-17 season (130 events), the pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won 9 times.
37 tournaments this season
3 pre-tourney fave/co-faves won:
Dustin Johnson: 6/1 (St. Jude)
Jon Rahm: 8/1 (CareerBuilder)
Justin Thomas: 15/2 (CJ CUP)
Francesco Molinari (9/1): making his tournament debut as the top-ranked OWGRer (No. 15) and pre-tourney fave, finished T2 on 19-under 265 (65-66-70-64), tying Ryder for top debutant (of 30).
It’s his seventh top 25 of the season in 14 starts, third straight, and second top 10, second straight after winning the Quicken Loans two weeks ago, also as a debutant. The Italian records his second career runner-up in 122 events (T2, 2017 PGA Championship) and his fifth overall top-3 finish. Additionally, he records his fourth top-2 finish in his last five worldwide events.
In the 35-year-old’s last two TOUR starts, he’s climbed 96 spots from 123rd in the FEC standings to 27th.
FEC: 27th (UP 16)
OWGR: 15th (no change)
Season Form: 2-1-25-MC-16-49-20-17
Player Spotlights:
Sam Ryder, World No. 256: the Stetson alum was top rookie (of 21) and shared top debutant (of 30) with a career-best T2 on 19-under 265 (66-66-67-66). 1st in total bogeys with just two but also had two doubles (against one eagle and 23 birdies). 2nd in putts per GIR (1.582) and 5th in SG: Off-the-Tee (3.817). Second top 25 and second top 10 of season in 22 starts. Third time low rookie (T26, Travelers; 5th, Houston).
FEC: 115th (UP 33); career high
OWGR: 202nd (UP 54)
Season Form: 2-MC-48-26-MC-42-MC
Joel Dahmen, World No. 298: second appearance (CUT/2017) for the University of Washington product, finished a career-best T2 on 19-under 265 (64-71-65-65). He tallied one eagle and 22 birdies against five bogeys en route to his ninth top 25 of the season in 23 events, third straight, and second top 10, second straight after T5 at last week’s Greenbrier, which was his previous-career-best.
FEC: 71st (UP 37); career high
OWGR: 223rd (UP 75); career high
Season Form: 2-5-23-MC-MC-20-16-16
Bronson Burgoon, World No. 284: second appearance (T47/2016) for the Texas A&M product, finished a career-best T2 on 19-under 265 (68-62-66-69). He totaled three eagles, No. 1 in that stat, and 20 birdies versus five bogeys, and was also No. 1 in Par-5 Scoring (4.08). The 31-year-old improves to 9-for-19 on the season with five top 25s and two top 10s, supplanting a previous-career-best T6 at the QL National two starts ago.
FEC: 98th (UP 36)
OWGR: 201st (UP 83); career high
Season Form: 2-30-6-MC-MC-16-MC-MC-24
Andres Romero, World No. 292: in just his third start of the season on Past Champion status, finished T7 on 16-under 268 (64-71-64-69). It’s his first top 10 since T5 at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open a little over 27 months ago. This was the 37-year-old’s seventh Deere, third top 25, second straight (T25/2017), and first top 10. He’s a one-time TOUR winner in 208 events, claiming the 2008 Zurich during his rookie season (196 starts ago).
FEC: 194th (UP 56)
OWGR: 259th (UP 33)
Season Form: 7-MC-MC
Kim’s Weekly Stats (ranking of 71 players):
Birdies: 30 (1st)
Bogeys: 3 (T2)
Par-3 Scoring: 2.81 (T7)
Par-4 Scoring: 3.59 (1st)
Par-5 Scoring: 4.50 (T37)
Driving Distance (all drives): 282.0 yards (38th)
Driving Accuracy: 46/56 (T2) at 82.14%
GIR: 60/72 (3rd) at 83.33%
Proximity to Hole: 24’11” (1st)
Putts per GIR: 1.533 (1st)
Total Putts: 106 (2nd)
Putts by Round: 27-26-27-26
Scrambling: 10/12 (T1) at 83.33%
All Around: 1st
SG: Off-the-Tee: 1.238 (34th)
SG: Approach-the-Green: 5.266 (11th)
SG: Around-the-Green: -0.277 (47th)
SG: Putting: 13.514 (1st)
SG: Tee-to-Green: 6.228 (16th)
