You have to love Tom Kim, who always acts with all his heart.
Whether it's her emotional finish at the Olympics, eating chocolate to celebrate after a win in Las Vegas, or her love of New Haven pizza, Kim has a unique charm that makes her extremely likable. His viral mud bath at the 2023 PGA Championship and the subsequent reaction to that episode are also recalled. Sure, I went on a rant in Korea in October, but no one is perfect. He met a heartbreaking end, but his emotions got the better of him. It looks like he learned from it and moved on.
This week, we go back to when Kim played with her good friend Geno Titicle at the Grant Thornton Invitational. Both players played well, but in the end they fell one stroke behind Jake Knapp and Patti Tavatanakit. But fans should remember Kim's subsequent comments, not the shots he did or didn't take during the play.
“Is this okay?” [tournament] Were you influenced by watching men and women play together as a child? ” a reporter asked him.
Mr. Kim then gave a surprising response.
“I think this is a really big thing, because as much as I'm from Asia, when I see Asian players playing on the world stage as a kid, it's great to see my compatriots playing on the PGA Tour. “I was really inspired and encouraged to go after my dreams,” Kim explained.
“Especially with this format, it's pretty special in that the participants aren't just guys. You've got guys and girls of different genders coming together and playing together. I think it's going to be really cool. I'm coming to America I lived in Thailand for several years before [Thitikul’s] The stardom is so big there that people over there will see us and want to come on this stage and maybe play with our compatriots. I think this will be a big step for the people of Asia. ”
Kim also emphasized that he only wants to play with Titikul from now on.
“I wouldn't want to play with anyone else but her. We're growing in Asia and from the people I've played with, she and I were the ones who really took the courage to come to America and play on a big tour.” I think it was just that,” Kim said.
“I think she really inspires people in her home country to come here and play on the LPGA. Like I said, it's really cool and I'd love to win with her in the future, but I definitely don't plan on playing with anyone else.”
Even though Kim is only 22 years old, she has great wisdom and experience. He just completed his third full year on the PGA Tour, but these comments would lead you to believe he's been playing since the mid-200s. Maybe that's part of his charm.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
