Before Kim, Choi Kyung-joo, who is more popularly known as K.J. Choi, Yang Yong-eun, known as Y.E. Yang, Bae Sang-moon and Noh Seung-yul have won the US -based tour title.
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He’d come close to a win once before, losing to Aaron Baddeley in a playoff last month in Alabama in the Barbasol Championship. His record from the second round, where he shot 10-under 60, is his personal best, as well as the tournament record for a single round.
The 21-year-old, who became the eighth Korean to win on tour, admits he felt confident all week in North Carolina and has now set his sights on guaranteeing his place at East Lake. None other than Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters. It was shades of Ty Tyron, the last teen whiz to make it through Q-School.
Robert Allenby and Jarrod Lyle however have finished outside the top 200 and will not get the chance to play the Web.Com Tour finals although Allenby may have some obscure status for the 2017 season to allow him to play the PGA Tour again.
Kim took command of the tournament with a course-record 60 at Sedgefield Country Club on Friday.
The 36-hole final on the South Course at Oakland Hills was all square after 18, and Dalke won the first hole after the break.
Shawn Stefani: Made birdie on the final hole from seven feet to keep his PGA Tour card for 2016-17.
Then a two-putt birdie on the par-five 15th seemed to steady Kim, who began the day with a four-shot advantage. 8 and 9 to tour the front in 31 and open a six-shot lead.
However, with some work to do to cut into the four shot lead Kim was holding, in the end, it just proved too much for him to overcome and the Spaniard finished in a tie for fifth at 15-under.
After turning on to the back nine after only 31 strokes, Kim tapped in his bogey putt on the 10th hole during a momentary downpour, and watched his lead drop down to five strokes. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Kim.
“He (Kim) looked like he was very much in control of his game, and he was going to be a hard man to catch”, Donald said.
Gibson is now 39th on the Web.Com Tour money list and a top three of even possibly a top four this coming week might get him in through via Web.Com Tour regular season status as if he was to finish inside the top twenty five on the Web.Com Tour’s regular season money list he is back on the PGA Tour.
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Instead of an experienced Major champion facing him in the final match, Kim has the far less intimidating opponent of Rafa Cabrera Bello.
