Tom Kim is going to be the overwhelming favourite in the eyes of many ahead of the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin this week, with the South Korean looking to win the event for the third time in a row this year.
Tom Kim is the biggest name in the field at the Shriners Children’s Open this week. Of course, the FedEx Cup fall season is now in full swing on the PGA Tour, so there is definitely a good opportunity for the 22-year-old to secure yet another win in Las Vegas.
Kim has won the last two events at TPC Summerlin, while it was his countryman Sungjae Im who clinched the title back in 2021. The average for the last three winning scores at the course is nearly 23 under par.
Obviously, altitude is a factor which has to be taken into consideration. It is definitely a golf course which offers a lot of birdie opportunities, with a lot of approach shots set to be hit from well inside 150 yards over the week.
Tom Kim reveals the secrets of winning the Shriners Children’s Open
But there is probably no-one better to ask on what it takes to win the event than Kim himself. And ahead of his title defence this week, the starlet explained what the keys are when it comes to taking on TPC Summerlin.
“I think it’s taking advantage. You know, you have some holes where there is – par threes are pretty long, some tough par fours. If you plot yourself pretty well the first 12 holes you get to 13, it’s a very, very accessible par five, really short par three, drivable par four, and another par five right away,” he said.
“So there is a lot of birdies out there. You just have to pick and choose when you want to attack. Because you could play the most boring round of six under here. It’s possible. Good ball striking gets rewarded. The greens are so perfect and stays on your line.
“I think that’s why I have been able to do well. Again, it’s not the longest golf course. You have to plot your way around and you can’t just hit it 180 ball speed and hit it everywhere. You have to hit it straight. That’s been a strength of my game. And again, you have to stick to your game plan and be pretty smart.”
A good chance to put 2024 season behind him
Kim probably feels that this event could be an ideal opportunity to move past the 2024 season. Ultimately, it was not one which saw him shine.
An agonising finish at the St Jude Championship saw Kim fall out of the top 50 in the first FedEx Cup play-off event. Of course, that provided Keegan Bradley with the opportunity to then win the BMW Championship. But Kim admitted after the tournament that he had really struggled at times throughout the year.
He had a brilliant chance to win the Travelers Championship before missing out in a play-off to Scottie Scheffler. Meanwhile, he produced some superb moments once again in the Presidents Cup.
A good performance in Las Vegas may be exactly what he needs to remind everyone just how talented he is, and what a bright future lies ahead of him.
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