Kim retains Shriners title; Purcell makes Rolex Grand Final
Tom Kim
South Korea’s Tom Kim became the youngest player since Tiger Woods in 1997 to win three times on the PGA Tour when he retained the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
The 21-year-old closed with a five-under 66 to win by a shot from Canada’s Adam Hadwin at TPC Summerlin to win for the third time in 44 PGA Tour starts.
At 21 years, three months and 24 days, Kim became the second-youngest to successfully defend a PGA TOUR title since John McDermott retained the US Open in 1912.
Only Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith and Woods won their third title at a younger age.
“It was pretty intense, really,” said Kim, who moves up five spots to 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking. “It was probably the most emotional final round I've experienced win-wise.”
Asked what he would do with the $1.5 million top prize, he said he planned to fly out at 6:30 a.m. today rather than fly overnight.
“I'm going to finish a piece of chocolate that I wanted to finish,” he joked.
“I brought it from a trip from Europe. It's a Ferrero Rocher white chocolate. It's great. Like I've saved it, and it's going to taste so good tonight.”
On the Challenge Tour, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia shot a five-under 67 earlier today to win the Hainan Open by three strokes from Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach on 16 under par with just one event of the season remaining.
He moves up 15 places to 10th in the Road to Mallorca standings ahead of next month’s final counting Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by the R&A, where the top 45 in the standings will do battle.
The top 20 in the final standings after the Grand Final will be awarded DP World Tour cards with Conor Purcell the only Irish qualifier.
Purcell moved up one place to 36th in the Road to Mallorca standings when tied for 44th on three-under in China today after a final round 74.
But while Jonathan Caldwell shot 70 to tie for eighth on 10-under, the Clandeboye man finished 58th in the standings and failed to qualify for the Grand Final.
On the PGA Tour Champions, Rod Pampling won the SAS Championship in North Carolina, where Darren Clarke closed with a one-under 71 to finish eight shots behind the Australian, tied 15th on seven-under.
Padraig Harrington was tied 45th on level par after a final round 73 and hopes for better in the Charl Schwab Cup playoffs, which begin at this week’s Dominion Energy Classic in Virginia.
“I hopefully will get back in the flow of it next week,” tweeted the Dubliner, who is ninth in the standings behind Steve Stricker with Clarke 21st.
WITB | Tom Kim:
Titleist Pro V1x golf ball
TSR3 9.0 driver | Fujikura Atmos Black 6 X
TSi3 15.0 fairway | Fujikura Atmos Black 7 X
TSR3 19.0 hybrid | Graphite Design Tour AD AG04 Hybrid Prototype 9 X
NEW T200 3 utility iron | True Temper Project X 5.5
NEW T100 4-9 irons | True Temper Project X 6.0
Vokey Design SM9 46.10F, 52.12F (@53) wedges, WedgeWorks 60A (@59)| True Temper Project X 6.0 (46); Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (52, 60)
Scotty Cameron TourType Timeless GSS tour prototype putter
