Is this the best Si Woo Kim has ever swung the golf club?
“Yes, I think so,” Kim said Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open, where he’s T-2, a shot back of leader Hideki Matsuyama, and has gained nearly eight shots on approach the past two days.
“I’m playing really good iron shots right now.”
Kim, who ranked fourth in strokes gained approach entering the week, wasn’t always a flusher with the irons. Five years ago, he ranked outside the top 100, and a few years before that, Kim ranked outside the top 140 in each of his first four seasons on the PGA Tour.
“Swing used to be like too much laid off, I don’t know where it comes down,” Kim said. “Next day, completely loose. And now, I know like where my backswing is, I know where club head is now, so that makes me really comfortable with my swing and consistency.”
One of three players on the PGA Tour with three top-25s already (Pierceson Coody and Ryan Gerard are the others), Kim has gone T-12, T-6, T-2 to start his season.
Kim followed his second-round 62 with a 6-under 66 Saturday. He birdied his first hole, eagled the par-5 third and was 4 under through six. He bogeyed the par-3 12th but added birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to earn a spot in the penultimate threesome. Kim is tied for second at 12 under with three others, Nicolai Hojgaard, Mav McNealy and Ryo Hisatsune.
Of course, all that said, one can’t ignore how Kim began the tournament. Not only was his approach play inconsistent; it was worst in the 123-player field, as Kim lost three and a half strokes.
Kim’s defense? It was mental.
“First day, fairway looks really tight and a little wet, I feel like I’m going to chunk it, so I hit a lot of thin shots and didn’t get to my yardage,” Kim said. “That was really a struggle. Even Friday, first hole, I was scared to hit the ground, so I hit it thin and keep short. So, I think just change the mind, I am just going to, no matter what, hit the chunk. Just going to try to flush the ground. I think that helps me.”