Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn
Anybody who has ever played the game of golf for an extended period of time that while it can be the most frustrating sport in the world, it can also be the most rewarding. That’s in part due to just how difficult the game is and just how the margins are. If you mishit a ball by just a matter of millimeters, it can end up nowhere near your intended target.
But the game of golf does not discriminate. Sure, the pros are pros for a reason. But if they make a bad swing or leave themselves in a bad spot, things can go off the rails quickly. Unfortunately for 22-year-old rising star Tom Kim, he was reminded of that the hard way during Saturday’s third round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Tom Kim helps us all feel a bit better about our own golf game. pic.twitter.com/qTrqaZnypN
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) February 8, 2025
Kim entered the day at 9-under, three shots back of leader Thomas Detry and in a tie for fourth. But his game quickly let him down. On the par-5 third hole, Kim drove the ball 302 yards into the right rough. His ball nestled down into the deep grass, and when he went to hit his next shot, the ball traveled just 31 feet and remained in the rough.
Kim went on to make a bogey on the hole, his first of four on the day. He made just three birdies and finished the round with a score of 1-over, 72, dropping him eight shots adrift of Petry and taking him out of contention.
Days and shots like that will happen to every golfer, even the pros. And Kim is still a ridiculous talent who most fans believe will win at least one major someday. But Saturday, and his second shot on the third hole in particular, served as a stark reminder that the golf gods will have their pound of flesh from each and every one of us.