Despite his tender age, Kim is not the youngest ever champion in Greensboro.
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Kim took command of the tournament with a course-record 60 at Sedgefield Country Club on Friday.
Kim gained attention as a possible up-and-comer when he graduated from the PGA Tour’s qualifying school at the age of 17, the youngest ever to do so. He missed the third of those birdie chances to stall slightly, but a bogey-free three-under-par back nine completed an excellent 64. Then the putts began to fall.
“I knew it was into the grain up that hill”. “I haven’t heard of that, and I haven’t seen it before”. Henderson was still in the mix when she four-putted for double bogey on the 16th hole, taking three of those putts from 3 feet.
Luke Donald fashioned a 3-under-par 32-35=67 in the weather-delayed final round of the Wyndham Championship to wrap his fifth appearance on 16-under 264, up one spot to solo second, five in arrears to champion Si Woo Kim.
Na (70) faded down the stretch and also tied for 10th. As he was getting closer to possibly shooting a 59, he was asked if he was getting nervous.
It looked as if Kim would cruise in this one after he had four birdies on his front nine, including two in a row on Nos.
The final twoball of Kim and Cabrera Bello tees off at 7pm United Kingdom and Ireland time.
“It was impressive, and he played very solid”, said Reifers, a former Wake Forest star who shot 73-74 to miss the cut.
“I aggressively played. I already made top 125 (in tour rankings), feel confidence so I don’t have any fear to attacking the pin”, he told reporters about having already retained his tour card and qualified for the FedExCup.
Furyk shot the first 58 in tour history August 7 in the final round of the Travelers Championship. After playing a three-hole stretch in 4 under with a 60-footer for eagle on 15 and two birdies, he bogeyed the final two holes for a 67.
“I want to be on that team”, said Snedeker.
“I’m not thinking 59, but I’m trying to eagle”, he said.
Kim became the youngest victor on tour this season, and the second-youngest in tournament history; Seve Ballesteros was 20 when he won here in 1978.
Kim, 21, is 43rd on the FedExCup points list, thanks largely to his playoff defeat by Aaron Baddeley at the Barbasol Classic in July.
LPGA: Defending champion Juli Inkster shot a 4-under 68 for a share of the first-round lead in The Legends Championship with Becky Iverson and Trish Johnson.
“Not so much celebrate today”, Kim said. Na and Rafa Cabrera Bello shared the first-round lead at 7-under.
Donald had his best round of the tournament to move into the top tier of the leaderboard. “I’ve been chasing that win that has been elusive so far, but it’s just been exciting to have the opportunity”. Hideki Matsuyama and Brandt Snedeker were 15-under after each shot a 67. When he made the turn, nobody was within six strokes of him.
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“I’m in good position for the weekend”, he said. The 61 represents the lowest score for a Clemson alum on the PGA Tour, breaking the previous record of 62 held by several golfers, including Glover.
