Scottie Scheffler is probably the only PGA Tour player who has made a bigger statement over the last couple of weeks than Tom Kim, with the South Korean following his second place finish at the Hero World Challenge with a runners-up spot at the Grant Thornton Invitational.
It has been a real return to form for Tom Kim over the past couple of weeks. The 2024 season was a disappointment for the 22-year-old. But he certainly reminded everyone of his talent at the Hero World Challenge.
And he definitely appeared to have a lot of fun during the Grant Thornton Invitational.
Kim played alongside Jeeno Thitikul at Tiburon Golf Club. Of course, Thitikul went into the event having recently won the CME Group Tour Championship on the same golf course.
Tom Kim backs LPGA star for Hall of Fame future
And the pairing seemed to click perfectly. They posted rounds of 62, 64 and 64 to finish one shot behind Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit in Naples. No pairing could rival their round of 64 in the alternate shot format on the Saturday.
Kim has now commented on the year on Instagram, and sent a heartfelt message to Thitikul – predicting that she is going to go into the Hall of Fame in the future…
How Jeeno Thitikul can earn her spot in the Hall of Fame
Thitikul had previously won twice on the LPGA Tour in 2022, but 2024 was arguably the breakout year for the 22-year-old, particularly as she rounded off her season with that remarkable performance at the CME Group Tour Championship. Few will forget the eagle she made on the 17th hole during the amazing duel with Angel Yin.
In fact, in many categories, Thitikul managed to outshine Nelly Korda. So it is going to be fascinating to see how far she pushes the world number one in 2025. Many expect Thitikul to be Korda’s biggest rival next season.
LPGA Tour players earn their place in the Hall of Fame through the following criteria…
- Must have won/been awarded at least one of the following – an LPGA major championship, the Vare Trophy or Rolex Player of the Year honours and…
- Must have accumulated a total of 27 points, which are awarded as follows – one point for each LPGA official tournament win, two points for each LPGA major tournament win and one point for each Vare Trophy or Rolex Player of the Year honour earned.
- One point for an Olympic gold medal
Certainly, Thitikul should be a major champion before too long. And it would not be a surprise if Kim was far from being the only person tipping the 21-year-old for a place in the Hall of Fame.
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