Journeys

‘I Was the Youngest One Out There’

College scouts weren’t coming after me. I thought turning pro at 15 was the best way to develop my game the fastest

By Tom Kim, with Keely Levins

My real name is joo hyung. As a child, I loved Thomas the Tank Engine so much that I had people call me Thomas. It evolved into Tom. Even my older brother calls me Tom. My family moved to Australia after living in South Korea and briefly in China. My parents wanted us to learn English. (It’s one of three languages I speak now.) I played cricket, basketball, Australian rules football, but nothing clicked until I tried golf at age six. It came naturally to me. Even though my dad was a mini-tour pro turned teaching pro, golf was never forced on me. But golf was the one thing I never got sick of.

The cost of living in Australia was Tour Q School. I didn’t make it through rising, so our family chose to move Q School but got status by winning home to Asia. My parents decided three times on the developmental tour. that the Philippines was the best place ● ● ● for our family and my golf. I was 13 I was the youngest one out there. when we moved there. My I was proud of that. I was parents home-schooled TOM KIM also one of the smallest me so that I could play as PGA TOUR, ASIAN TOUR guys in every tournament. much golf as possible. In AGE 20 I was short off the tee. Ofthe Philippines, golf isn’t a FROM SOUTH KOREA ten I was hitting two clubs huge sport. I was lucky as more into the green than one of the best clubs in the Philippines the guys I played with. Figuring out how asked me to play for its team, which to beat them helped me improve my acgave me full access to the club’s facili- curacy. I got so good with my long irons ties. I remember being so excited that that they became more reliable than my I had a place I could practise. That’s short irons. Even now, I’m never shaky when I got serious about developing my with a long iron in my hand. game and turning professional. I’m one ● ● ● of only two players to make it out of that One of my parents always travelled system on to a world-ranking tour. with me, usually my dad. He caddied ● ● ● for me. We were doing everything we I was 15 when I turned pro. I’d won could to save money. I had no financial all of the big amateur tournaments in security. You’re playing for like $50,000 the Philippines. College scouts weren’t purses. I had to play well just to ensure coming after me, and my goal was al- I could keep playing the next week. I ways to turn pro, so I decided to do it heard guys talk about treating themearly. I thought it’d be the best way to selves to big dinners after good tournadevelop my game the fastest. We moved ments. I never did that. I was worried to Thailand because I could play there about breaking even. I don’t have to professionally while I waited to turn 16, think about that kind of thing anymore, the minimum age to compete in Asian but you never forget that. Even when I book travel now, I remind myself I don’t have to book the cheapest flight. I can stay in a hotel that’s closer to the course, even if it’s more expensive. ● ● ●

After half a season on the Asian Tour,

COVID hit. The Asian Tour didn’t play for almost two years. I went back to Korea and competed on the Korean Tour in 2020 and 2021. It was nice to stay in one place. Being comfortable, knowing where home is, where I can practise, eat and sleep, that makes me feel refreshed and mentally clear on the course. ● ● ●

While in Korea, I had one goal: pre-

pare for Korn Ferry Q School. But somehow, when I got there, I didn’t make it through. At the start of the 2022 season, I had status only on the Asian Tour. But in the next eight months, my whole life changed. ● ● ●

I got a spot in the Scottish Open and finished third. Then I made the

cut at the Open. I accepted special temporary status on the PGA Tour. A few weeks later, I finished seventh in Detroit. The next week I won Wyndham. After the post-round obligations, I got back to my hotel, lay down in bed and tried to soak in what it feels like to be a winner on the PGA Tour, to realise a lifelong dream. I didn’t close my eyes until 1 in the morning — the adrenaline kept me up. I’d earned full PGA Tour status for next year and a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs as well as on the Presidents Cup team. ● ● ●

My parents couldn’t believe I won

at first. But they keep me grounded. They said: “Enjoy it a little bit but not to the point where you forget about the past.” They know what I’ve done is great, and what I’m going to do next will be even better. ● ● ●

Of all the advice my dad has given me, my favourite is: Give it my best now so that when I retire, I won’t feel guilty; I won’t feel like there’s anything else I could have done.

My mom stands by that mentality, too. That’s how I’ve been living. If I keep going like this, I know I won’t have any regrets. I’ll know I’ll have done everything I possibly could have done.