K.T.

Kim

While Kim has a strong record across the globe, the Korean’s game hasn’t traveled consistently well to the United States. He did have a nice run in the summer of 2011 with a tie for sixth at the WGC-Bridgestone and a tie for fourth at the Wyndham. In his last two tournaments, he bowed out in the first round of the Match Play and missed the cut at last week’s Honda.

A veritable upset given that the South Koreans were an aggregate 0-4-0 on the week; both sat in this morning’s foursomes. And they were never down in the match. Yang opened with a nine-foot conversion for birdie and a win at the first hole. The next eight were halved before Woods curled in a 34-footer for birdie at the 10th to even it up. Yang promptly sunk a 10-footer for birdie to regain the lead at the 11th. Woods again brought the match to all square with an 11-foot birdie at 12. Two more halves preceded Kim’s unlikely 28-foot birdie bomb at the par-5 15th for a 1-up lead. Dormie at the last, neither Woods nor DJ could convert for birdie, but Kim needed to drop his 5'7" attempt for par for the full point. The Internationals are now 2-0-0 in four-ball today but they still trail the U.S. 11-8 on the scoreboard.

Casual golf fans getting their first look at the 25-year-old South Korean are going to remember just how solid he was with the flatstick late in this competition. After showcasing his talent in a victroy in four-ball on Saturday, Kim pressed the repeat button today. After Simpson won the 15th and 16th holes to square the match, Kim drilled home a 10-footer for birdie and a win at the 17th to regain the lead. At the last, both golfers missed 30-foot birdie attempts, but Kim needed a par save of 5'11" to secure the point for the Internationals. U.S. still leads, however, 14-12.

Unlike his opener, Kim went bogey-free 32-35 in today’s loop of Firestone. He split just six (of 14) fairways but landed 15 greens and rolled in three birdies, all of which dropping from beyond 10 feet. The most notable of the set measured 15'4" at the 13th hole and 23 feet at No. 17.

Kim was the fourth to sign for a 67 today. He’s been a non-factor all year in the world’s biggest events, so this is a welcome surprise for his fantasy owners. The South Korean birdied four of his first seven holes, including conversions of 12'3" and 22'9" at the first and seventh holes, respectively. He added a par save from 20'4" at No. 8 to maintain momentum. A botched up-and-down at the par-4 18th resulted in a bogey and cost him the outright lead.

Kim enters the week having missed the cut at the Masters and posted a 67th at the U.S. Open in the season’s first two major championships. In his two previous British Open’s, he missed the cut in 2011 and finished 48th in 2010 at St. Andrews.

This is Kim’s ninth WGC event overall with a best of T6 on debut at Firestone CC in 2011. His next best is T24 here as well the following year, so he’s had success in Akron, Ohio. The 29-year-old’s scoring average in eight career laps over the par-70 layout is 68.83, posting five red numbers and shooting 66 three times. Kim slots 40th in the Official World Golf Ranking and won the Japan Golf Tour money title last year with five wins in 20 events. He’s leading the money list again this year with three victories in seven starts. In Kim’s most recent action, he missed the cut at the U.S. Open by one on 7-over 73-74=147.

The Korean is an enigma. In 2010 he won 3 times in Japan and became the first Korean winner of the money list there, he also played for the International team in the 2011 Presidents Cup, and made four major cuts on the bounce in those two seasons. Then it all went flat only to then win 5 times in Japan in 2015, and add another 3 this season. All this while he has not been seen in major championships since the Open Championship of 2013 until his reappearance in the U.S. Open last month saw him miss the cut. In 12 majors he is still yet to improve on a best of T30 in the U.S. Open of 2011. He was, however, T21 in this month’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational. Will the outrageous Japanese form ever transfer? That is the question.

The 29-year-old opened his third visit to Firestone CC in 4-over 74, overshadowing two birdies with four bogeys and a double bogey-6. He righted the ship on Day 2 with six circles against three squares to settle-in five shots back of 36-hole leader Jason Day. The South Korean mustered just six (of 14) fairways for a second straight lap, but improved to 11 greens in regulation from eight. He was -0.360 in SG: Off-the-Tee, but a stellar 4.093 in SG: Tee-to-Green. Kim bogeyed Nos. 4, 6 and 18 on failed scrambles and carded birdies at 2, 3, 5, 9, 12 and 17, highlighted by a 19'6" roll on the par-4 third and a hole-out from 30 yards away at the par-4 ninth.

The 30-year-old picked up $4,000 with his T39 at the DAP Championship, but leaves him outside the top 25 of the Web.com Tour Finals as he attempts to play his onto the PGA TOUR. In 30 career starts on the big stage, he owns four top 25s, including a pair of top 10s so we now the talent and upside is there. The World No. 54 is the highest ranked golfer in the field, and should be considered one of the favorites in Boise.