Every outrageous record behind the rise of PGA Tour’s newest superstar
You know you’re doing something right when Tiger Woods is involved in your stats – so let’s crunch the numbers on Tom Kim’s sensational start to life on tour
Record breaker. Presidents Cup hero. Bona fide superstar.
Just five months ago, Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim was was unknown on the Korean Tour looking to kickstart his journey to the PGA Tour. Now, the 20-year-old is a two-time winner on the circuit, has risen to World No 15, and is toppling record upon record after a seismic victory at the Shriners Children’s Open.
After starring for the International Team at the Presidents Cup to become everyone’s new favourite golfer, Kim saw off Patrick Cantlay at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas to earn his second PGA Tour title in just four starts.
But that only tells half the story, as the win saw him smash several mind-blowing records to place his name alongside some of the greats of the game. Courtesy of stat guru Justin Ray, let’s get stuck in…
– With his Shriners victory, Kim becomes the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 21.
– Kim is the second youngest two-time winner in PGA Tour history – only one month older than Ralph Guldahl… in 1932!
– The South Korean is now the youngest two-time non-American winner on the PGA Tour since 1900(!)
– Kim is the just the third player since 1974 to win a PGA Tour event without making a single bogey. The 20-year-old joins Lee Trevino (New Orleans Open, 1974) and JT Poston (Wyndham Championship, 2019) as the only three players to achieve the feat in the last 48 years.
– In terms of starts, the South Korean becomes the third fastest player to claim two PGA Tour victories. Only Robert Gamez (13) and Seve Ballesteros (16) needed fewer than Kim (18).
– Kim now has the second highest win percentage in the OWGR era with 10.4%. Once again, he’s behind only Tiger with 22.1%.
More to come? You better believe it…
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George Cooper
A golf fanatic his entire life, George Cooper is NCG's man for all goings-on at the top level of the game, whether it's the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA or LIV Golf. He also looks after NCG's Twitter and Facebook accounts. George is a member of Woburn, but is not friends with Ian Poulter.
