Hoylack, England – To hear Tom Kim say that, he almost missed out on a $1 million payout.
After tearing ligaments in his right ankle earlier in the week, Kim considered withdrawing from The Open and returning home. Instead, he decided to stick with it, put an ankle splint on, and continue playing.
It paid off. Kim battled wind and rain at Royal Liverpool on Sunday and put together an all-time best 18 hole par. The 4-under 67 was the best score of the day and moved him into a tie for second place and a $1.084 million prize.
“I’m glad I didn’t,” Kim said, almost smiling about pulling out.
After an opening round of 74, Kim was 3 shots over and 8 shots behind. But three consecutive under-70s and a second-place finish in strokes made him an unsatisfying contender on Thursday.
Kim played so well on Sunday that he said he forgot about his ankle. As the adrenaline rose, any pain subsided.
“Things went on better today,” Kim said. “I took off my cast and kind of saw it and actually got a lot better, which was really cool to see.”
For a 21-year-old in his first full year on the PGA Tour to become the youngest player to finish in the top two at The Open since Seve Ballesteros in 1976, it’s no small feat. Kim has already won twice on the PGA Tour and made a name for himself with his performance at the Presidents Cup last year. Now he has the 8th place in the US Open and the 2nd place in the Open Championship to his name.
“It’s very satisfying,” he said. “It was tough at times this year… Seeing golf courses that I didn’t go to, and hitting a huge learning curve, it was kind of a little disappointing.”
Kim said the expectations he had for himself increased after his Tour win, and part of him felt he needed to play well all the time. Although he’s struggled at times in 2023 (missing five times this season), he’s had to constantly remind himself that the players he’s up against have been doing so for a while. Not many of them had finished this high in a major at his time.
“I have to set the record straight and keep working hard to keep playing better,” Kim said. “I’ve put a lot of work in this year trying to get back that feeling of competing in big events, and it’s good to see the fruits come to life.”
When Brian Harman brought up the Claret Jug on Sunday and Kim finally got home, the Georgia native, in some ways, provided a potential role model for Kim. Both are not as tall as some Tour drivers, but their iron play and precision fuel their game. Kim’s second-place finish in this tournament so early in his career, combined with a tie for eighth in last week’s Scottish Open, could herald a good future in any ties tournament.