Tom Kim aims to rekindle Shriners Children’s Open magic

A year ago, as supernova Tom Kim finally shook Patrick Cantlay to win the Shriners Children’s Open, the "Tom Kim Experience" looked like it would require supplemental oxygen.

Having wowed at the Presidents Cup, Kim went bogey-free for the week in Vegas – the first winner to do that since J.T. Poston in 2019 – and won for the second time in four starts (beginning with his maiden TOUR win at the 2022 Wyndham Championship). He was also the first since Tiger Woods in 1996 to nab two PGA TOUR wins before turning 21. Kim settled in Dallas and spent Thanksgiving at Jordan Spieth's house, impressing with his prodigious appetite.

Then, just as quickly as he’d taken off, Kim’s trajectory flattened. He made the cut most weeks but didn’t really contend, and occasionally (RBC Heritage, PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, Rocket Mortgage Classic) never really achieved liftoff, packing his bags on Friday afternoon.

He now describes 2023 as a necessary learning process.

“Suddenly I'm playing really firm, long, penalizing golf courses,” Kim said from the Shriners, where he’ll play with Luke List and Nick Taylor for the first two rounds. “It was just the adjustment factor.

“I got into some spots where I feel like I didn't really want to be in,” he added.

In early July, shortly after he turned 21, Kim began working with instructor Chris Como and saw hopeful signs: a T6 at the Genesis Scottish Open, a T2 at The Open Championship. But it was more than that, Kim said. For as Como himself points out, every player picks up skills from a variety of sources on the journey, and Kim also cited the influence of instructor Cameron McCormick (Spieth’s coach), with whom he also worked this year.

“I've learned so much this year from Cam and even from Chris, just combining everything,” Kim said. “…I wasn't really far off. Having a new perspective helped me get more comfortable with myself, and especially out here when you're not comfortable and thinking a lot, doesn't really help.”

Kim played through a sprained ankle for three rounds at The Open, having sustained the injury by taking a wrong step off the porch at his rental house. He took time off afterward, missing what would have been his first PGA TOUR title defense at the Wyndham Championship in August.

Even so, he still advanced to the 50-player BMW Championship (where he finished T10) – meaning he’ll get into all of golf’s Signature Events in 2024 – and TOUR Championship (T20).

After some solid DP World Tour starts – T6 at the Cazoo Open de France and T18 at the BMW PGA Championship – he now finds himself back in Vegas, at a tournament where his next bogey will be his first. He knows not to expect more perfection – “Bogeys happen,” he said – just as he now knows what to expect from a full PGA TOUR season.

“I've been playing well,” Kim said. “Really, end of this past year once we made the trip to the U.K. I started to play really well. … I have a good game plan this week. It worked last year. Hopefully just – can't do one better than a win, so hopefully I can repeat something like I did last year.”