Tom Kim held off Patrick Cantlay and won the Shriners Children’s Open when Cantlay triple-bogeyed the 72nd hole of the tournament on Oct. 9 in Las Vegas.
Kim, a rising star from South Korea, became the youngest player since Tiger Woods to win two PGA Tour events before turning 21.
Kim and world No. 4 Cantlay entered Sunday’s final round tied for the lead and went toe to toe all afternoon at TPC Summerlin. They were tied at 24 under when they stepped to the tee box at the par-4 18th hole.
Cantlay’s drive landed in a native area left of the fairway, caught in tall grass directly behind a bush with bare branches. He tried to punch it out but his ball couldn’t escape the thatch. After taking a drop due to the unplayable lie, Cantlay’s fourth shot of the hole landed in a water hazard.
All that was left for Kim to do was par the hole to polish off a 5–under 66 and cruise to victory. Kim, 20, did not make a bogey all week.
“I got very lucky on the 18th, I’m not going to lie,” Kim told the Golf Channel broadcast. “Patrick played awesome and it was an honor to battle with him, and to come out on top, I feel very fortunate.”
Kim won the Wyndham Championship last August while playing on a special exemption, which earned him his full-time PGA Tour card. He also was one of the few bright spots on the International Team in their Presidents Cup loss to the U.S. last month.
“I think I’ve got to give big credit to Joe, my caddie,” Kim said of Joe Skovron, who formerly caddied for Rickie Fowler. “He really kept me in it and we had a really good gameplan coming into the week, and it paid off.”
At 24–under 260, Kim won by three shots over Cantlay (69) and Matthew NeSmith (66).
Cantlay was one putt away from carding his first-ever 59 on Saturday, but Sunday was more challenging for him. Kim led Cantlay by two after nine holes together, but Cantlay surged back with birdies at Nos. 11 and 12.
Kim then birdied Nos. 13 and 14 while Cantlay parred those holes. Cantlay answered right back with birdies at the 15th and 16th to match Kim at 24 under.
Cantlay said his defeat at the 18th wasn’t a matter of luck.
“I made a bad swing, and it went where it went,” Cantlay said. “After it was kind of in the bush there, I figured the only chance I had to stay in the tournament was to try to get it back in the fairway. Obviously I couldn’t get it back in the fairway.”
NeSmith made five birdies and stayed bogey-free for his 66. Tom Hoge (64), Chile’s Mito Pereira (67) and South Korea’s S.H. Kim (66) tied for fourth at 20 under.
Defending champion Sungjae Im shot a final-round 67 and placed seventh at 19 under.
Australia’s Jason Day tied for the low round of the day with a 63, aided by seven birdies on his final nine holes for a back-nine 29. He tied for eighth at 18 under with Si Woo Kim of South Korea.
Im, S.H. Kim and Si Woo Kim watched the final hole and congratulated Tom Kim when he stepped off the green.
“I’ve worked really hard, and my team has worked really hard to this point, and I’m just really grateful and I’m fortunate to have an opportunity like this,” Tom Kim said. “I’m having fun playing on the PGA Tour. It’s awesome.”
