LAS VEGAS — Tom Kim now has something in common with Byron Nelson as the only players to have won the same PGA Tour event twice in the same season.

Kim successfully defended his title Sunday in the Shriners Children’s Open when he closed with a 5-under 66 to emerge from a pack of a dozen players who had a chance in the final hour. Kim wound up winning by one shot over Adam Hadwin, who birded the final hole for a 67.

Kim now has three PGA Tour titles in the last 15 months, at 21 the youngest player since Tiger Woods in 1997 to have three tour wins.

“I really felt confident in myself,” Kim said. “I knew that if I did me I was going to be able to do it. I’m stoked to get this one.”

He won in Las Vegas a year ago, beating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff at the TPC Summerlin, when the Shiners Children’s Open was early in the season. Now, the Las Vegas event is still part of the same season because the PGA Tour goes to a calendar season starting in 2024.

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Nelson won the San Francisco Open in January 1944, and the same tournament in December of 1994, both times at Harding Park.

This one was up for grabs until Kim seized control on the par-5 16th.

With an hour left in the tournament, there was a six-way tie for the lead and 12 players were separated by a single shot. The key stretch at the TPC Summerlin was holes No. 13 through No. 16, which ranked as four of the five easiest holes in the final round.

Taylor Pendrith was tied for the lead with a birdie on the 13th, but had to settle for pars the rest of that stretch. K.H. Lee made all pars.

Then, it became a two-man race between Kim and Hadwin, playing in the final group with Kim holding a one-shot advantage.

Both birdied the 13th, Hadwin with a 35-foot birdie putt that rimmed all the way around the cup before dropping. Both birdied the reachable par-4 15th, Kim with a tough up-and-down and birdie putt from 12 feet, Hadwin narrowly missing a 25-foot eagle attempt.

It turned on the par-5 16th. Kim hit to the fat of the green in two, 50 feet away for eagle. Hadwin knew he missed his shot right after contact and it came up well short and into the water. Hadwin missed a 6-foot par putt after his penalty drop, and Kim three-putted — he had to make a 5-footer on his third one — for par.

“I completely whiffed it, up and out of it, and unfortunately one of my worst swings of the day at the least opportune time,” Hadwin said.

“I feel like you dump it in the water there on 16, and I certainly by no means gave the tournament, but I would have liked to have hit a more quality golf shot and put a little bit more pressure on Tom coming down the stretch.”

That gave Kim a two-shot lead with two to play, and he closed with solid pars. Kim finished at 20-under 264.

Eric Cole boosted his bid to be PGA Tour rookie of the year by closing with a 62 to finish two behind, along with Alex Noren (65), J.T. Poston (66) and Pendrith (67). Pendrith came into Las Vegas at No. 123 in the FedEx Cup and was projected to move to No. 90, all but assuring a full card for 2024.

Ludvig Aberg, who made his Ryder Cup debut two weeks ago, also shot 62 and tied for 13th.

Kim, born in South Korea and raised primarily in Australia, won for the first time in 2023. He had a hot run last summer that included victories in the Wyndham Championship and in Las Vegas, followed by a dynamic debut in the Presidents Cup.

But he said he felt the pressure to live up to the expectations, and it turned this year into a grind. He was a distant runner-up in the British Open, though he injured his ankle during the week that kept him from defending his title in the Wyndham Championship.

“It’s been a grind trying to figure it out,” Kim said. “My first full season, trying to live up to expectations of a great year. It’s been humbling sometimes.”

The victory moves Kim to No. 11 in the world ranking.

Isaiah Salinda, who got into Las Vegas as a Monday qualifier, had a 63-67 weekend and tied for seventh, which gets him into the next full PGA Tour event Nov. 2-5 in Mexico.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tom Kim now has something in common with Byron Nelson as the only players to have won the same PGA Tour event twice in the same season.

Kim successfully defended his title Sunday in the Shriners Children’s Open when he closed with a 5-under 66 to emerge from a pack of a dozen players who had a chance in the final hour. Kim wound up winning by one shot over Adam Hadwin, who birded the final hole for a 67.

Kim now has three PGA Tour titles in the last 15 months, at 21 the youngest player since Tiger Woods in 1997 to have three tour wins.

“I really felt confident in myself,” Kim said. “I knew that if I did me I was going to be able to do it. I’m stoked to get this one.”

He won in Las Vegas a year ago, beating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff at the TPC Summerlin, when the Shiners Children’s Open was early in the season. Now, the Las Vegas event is still part of the same season because the PGA Tour goes to a calendar season starting in 2024.

Nelson won the San Francisco Open in January 1944, and the same tournament in December of 1944, both times at Harding Park.

This one was up for grabs until Kim seized control on the par-5 16th.

With an hour left in the tournament, there was a six-way tie for the lead and 12 players were separated by a single shot. The key stretch at the TPC Summerlin was holes No. 13 through No. 16, which ranked as four of the five easiest holes in the final round.

Taylor Pendrith was tied for the lead with a birdie on the 13th, but had to settle for pars the rest of that stretch. K.H. Lee made all pars.

Then, it became a two-man race between Kim and Hadwin, playing in the final group with Kim holding a one-shot advantage.

Both birdied the 13th, Hadwin with a 35-foot birdie putt that rimmed all the way around the cup before dropping. Both birdied the reachable par-4 15th, Kim with a tough up-and-down and birdie putt from 12 feet, Hadwin narrowly missing a 25-foot eagle attempt.

It turned on the par-5 16th. Kim hit to the fat of the green in two, 50 feet away for eagle. Hadwin knew he missed his shot right after contact and it came up well short and into the water. Hadwin missed a 6-foot par putt after his penalty drop, and Kim three-putted — he had to make a 5-footer on his third one — for par.

“I completely whiffed it, up and out of it, and unfortunately one of my worst swings of the day at the least opportune time,” Hadwin said.

“I feel like you dump it in the water there on 16, and I certainly by no means gave the tournament, but I would have liked to have hit a more quality golf shot and put a little bit more pressure on Tom coming down the stretch.”

That gave Kim a two-shot lead with two to play, and he closed with solid pars. Kim finished at 20-under 264.

Eric Cole boosted his bid to be PGA Tour rookie of the year by closing with a 62 to finish two behind, along with Alex Noren (65), J.T. Poston (66) and Pendrith (67). Pendrith came into Las Vegas at No. 123 in the FedEx Cup and was projected to move to No. 90, all but assuring a full card for 2024.

Ludvig Aberg, who made his Ryder Cup debut two weeks ago, also shot 62 and tied for 13th.

Kim, born in South Korea and raised primarily in Australia, won for the first time in 2023. He had a hot run last summer that included victories in the Wyndham Championship and in Las Vegas, followed by a dynamic debut in the Presidents Cup.

But he said he felt the pressure to live up to the expectations, and it turned this year into a grind. He was a distant runner-up in the British Open, though he injured his ankle during the week that kept him from defending his title in the Wyndham Championship.

“It’s been a grind trying to figure it out,” Kim said. “My first full season, trying to live up to expectations of a great year. It’s been humbling sometimes.”

The victory moves Kim to No. 11 in the world ranking.

Isaiah Salinda, who got into Las Vegas as a Monday qualifier, had a 63-67 weekend and tied for seventh, which gets him into the next full PGA Tour event Nov. 2-5 in Mexico.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Mark SchlabachESPN Lead WriterMay 19, 2023 9:30 PM ET9 minute read

Rory gets his first birdie of the day with a long putt

Rory McIlroy sinks the long putt on the ninth hole for his first birdie of the day at the PGA Championship.

ROCHESTER, NY – At last year’s PGA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Michael Block finally found he belonged in the field.

Block played a few holes behind a large group that included Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas at Southern Hills Country Club and scored a 3-over-73 in the second round in front of hundreds of fans.

“Every hole I played was ten holes,” Block said. “I shot 73 with everyone there. My [general manager] even said, “That’s because you’re not a club professional anymore.” So it was a big moment for me. I’ve been making a living from it ever since.

Block, 46, is still a club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, a daily fee golf course in Mission Viejo, California. But Block proved in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club that he’s also a great player.

While some of the best players in the world including Tom Kim, Cameron Young, Sungjae Im and Sam Burns are heading home after missing the cut, Block remains to play the final two rounds this weekend. He sits in 10th place on even par, having dealt 70 cards each in the first two rounds.

Reigning PGA of America Pro Player of the Year Michael Block is hoping to become the first PGA club pro to make the top 10 in 40 years. Getty Images

According to a study by ESPN Stats & Information, Block is only the second club pro to make the top 20 in the PGA Championship after playing 36 holes in the past 20 years.

“I feel extremely comfortable,” said Block. “A couple of my friends in Orange County, to be honest [California] are Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay. I’ve played a lot of golf with them now [and] They have become my friends. I understand where they stand in the world. I understand my game isn’t quite up to par with them, but I’m pretty damn close and I can keep up with them.”

On Friday, Block was pretty close to securing at least part of the lead. He made three of his first five holes and also #1, his tenth hole of the round, with a birdie to move to 3 under, just one shot behind the leaders. But then he had a bogey on the #4 and a very improper swing on the par 3 fifth. He made his tee shot and landed a double bogey 5.

“I don’t know,” Block said. “I had the same momentum as I had all week. It was a nice little 8 iron, front left pin. I love hitting the baby draw with my 8 iron. I’ve been doing well all week, overall. Suddenly we were all there, doing that, and we look up and I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ The ball went straight up, kind of hit the tree, almost killed someone, and then he went off and landed in the deep rough. I was actually lucky enough to do a double bogey afterwards.”

Block has had an impressive career in smaller circles. He is the current PGA of America Professional Player of the Year. He placed second at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, which earned him a spot at Oak Hill field. In 2019 he set a course record in Arroyo Trabuco at 59. On April 17, he won the Stroke Play Classic at his home court, taking home $1,600. He raised an additional $500 for second place in the Pro-Pro Scramble at the San Juan Hills Golf Club in California a week earlier.

Block says he rarely hits more than a bucket of balls a week. He spends most of his time teaching, for $125 for a 45 minute session and $500 for a 9 hour hour of play. Wherever Block finishes on Sunday, he can earn a nice payday.

It is his fifth appearance in the PGA Championship. He also played at the US Open in 2007 and 2018. He failed to make the cut in any of his previous starts in the majors. He had made four of 24 PGA Tour starts and made about $38,038.

Block’s form has been good this year. In January, he scored a 7-under 65 in the first round of American Express (he was fielding for the third time to win the PGA Section Championship in Southern California). The next week, Block beat both tour pros he was paired with in the first two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open (he reached 74-73).

“I’ve gained that confidence from placings in the rounds where I’m like, ‘Why not?'” Block said. “Why don’t you come here and compete? Why not break through here at Oak Hill? To be honest, I’m not afraid of them anymore.”

The best result by a PGA club professional to make it to the PGA Professional Championship was an 11th-place tie between Lonnie Nielsen in 1986 and Tommy Aycock in 1974. Block may be the first in the last 40 years in the top 10.

“As strange as it may sound, I will be competing,” Block said. “I promise you that.”

As it says on his TaylorMade golf balls: why not?

foreign taste

Norway’s Viktor Hovland is tied at the top going into the third round with 5 under.Getty Images

The Americans have won each of the last seven PGA championships. The last non-American player to win it was Australian Jason Day in 2015. But after 36 holes, Oak Hill’s rankings have a distinctly foreign note.

Canadian Corey Conners and Norway’s Viktor Hovland are tied at the top with Scottie Scheffler at 5 under. England’s Callum Tarren is sixth with 2 unders and his compatriot Justin Rose is eighth with 1 unders. The Austrian Sepp Straka is in 10th place with the same odds.

No player in England has won the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes, who won the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919.

“I think in the past I’ve usually won on more difficult golf courses, so I think it fits my profile from that perspective,” Rose said. “Yes, that’s at the top. It feels a bit like a hybrid PGA-US Open sort of thing this week. I’m looking forward to the test, I think.”

How far is too far back?

Jon Rahm rallied all the strength to make the breakthrough, but it may be too late for him to make a real run. Getty Images

During the stroke-play era of the PGA Championship since 1958, 63 of the 65 eventual champions were in the top 20 ranked after 36 holes, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The exceptions were Collin Morikawa, who won 2020 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco (tied 25th place) and Padraig Harrington at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, 2008 (tied 26th place).

Each of the winners of the six major championships played at Oak Hill Country Club was in the top three after round two: Jason Dufner (first, 2013 PGA Championship), Shaun Micheel (tie first, 2003 PGA Championship), Curtis Strange (1st, US Open 1989), Jack Nicklaus (same runner-up, PGA Championship 1980), Lee Trevino (runner-up, US Open 1968) and Cary Middlecoff (same third, US Open 1956).

That could be bad news for some of the best players in the world including Adam Scott (tie 30th, 2 overs), Hideki Matsuyama (tie 35th, 3 overs), Max Homa (tie 35th, 3 overs) and Xander Schauffele (same 48th, 4 over), Cameron Smith (same 48th, 4 over), Jon Rahm (same 48th, 4 over), Tony Finau (same 59th, 5 over) and Justin Thomas (same 59th ., 4 over) 5 over).

“It was a blast again,” said Thomas, the defending champion. “It was a struggle. I just had a bad start.”

to be on the way home

Rickie Fowler was among the prominent names who missed the cut. Getty Images

Most of the big-name players in danger of missing the cut, including Thomas, Rahm and Jordan Spieth, rallied and moved across the finish line on Friday. There were a few notable exceptions including Rickie Fowler (over 6), Billy Horschel (over 6), Matt Fitzpatrick (over 6), Tom Kite (over 8), Jason Day (over 8), Cameron Young (over 9), Sungjae Im (over 13) and Sam Burns (over 14).

LIV Golf League star Talor Gooch finished the game with 10 overs and also missed the cut. He was ranked 63rd in the official golf world rankings this week. It took Gooch, a two-time LIV Golf League winner, a good week to finish in the top 60 by Monday or June 6 and qualify for the US Open.

Gooch secured a 2022 season-ending Tour Championship spot, which in the past would have been enough to put him in the US Open field. But the United States Golf Association changed the wording of that exception this year to include players who were both qualified and eligible for the Tour Championship. Gooch was ineligible to play after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended him for attending LIV golf events without a clearance. He doesn’t score points in LIV Golf League tournaments, so he’ll miss the field for next month’s US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.

Oh Canada

Corey Conners is hoping to become the second Canadian to win a major. Getty Images

The drive from Rochester to Toronto takes about three hours, so there were a lot of Canadian fans in the galleries this week. There has been plenty of reason to celebrate so far. Not only is Conners tied at the top, but Taylor Pendrith is 1-under in eighth and Adam Svensson is 11th on par. Adam Hadwin is in 35th place with 3 overs.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, only three Canadian players have made the top 10 in the PGA Championship: Graham DeLaet (tie seventh place, 2017), Mike Weir (three times), and Nick Welock (tie ninth place, 1936). Weir is the only Canadian to win a major at the 2003 Masters.

“It’s been a very special week so far,” said Conners. “I think since I’m so close to Canada, there are a lot of Canadian fans out here. They cheer me on It definitely feels good.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty exciting. Both Taylor and Adam are very close.” [Svensson]. It’s fun to be part of the group of Canadian golfers at the moment. I think whether it’s me or one of them or the others, someone makes noise every week. It’s fun to be a part of.

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After Ruffels broke the 20-year Epson Tour 36-hole scoring record on Saturday, Ruffels started the final round with a six-stroke lead.

A bogey on the second hole – only her second bogey of the week – would be her only misstep as she closed with a one-under 71 for a five-shot win from Isabella Fierro (62), Agathe Laisne (63) and Ga Yul Kan (65).

Her total of 19 under par equaled the 54-hole scoring record, and after winning the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic in March, Ruffels is just one win away from automatic promotion to the LPGA Tour with three wins.

Even without her, she’s all but assured of a 2024 LPGA Tour ticket, further extending her lead at the top of the Epson Tour money list.

“This win is a big step in the right direction,” Ruffels said of her LPGA Tour ambitions.

“We’re all out here for the same reason, which is to take the LPGA Tour to the next level. There’s still a long season ahead of us, but I’m definitely making some progress.”

The win earns Ruffels $30,000 to take her yearly tally to $89,262, enough to place seventh in the 2022 Race To The Card.

The 23-year-old broke the Buffalo Dunes course record with 10-under 62 on Friday and backed that up with 8-under 64 in Round 2 to set a new low for the Epson Tour.

Even the biggest leads can bring expectation and pressure, but Ruffels was never really threatened, and birdies at 14 and 16 ensured she always had at least a three-shot lead through the back nine.

“I was definitely very nervous, but I knew I had a big buffer, which really helped,” Ruffels said.

“I just tried to play every shot as it was and not overdo it.

“I just tried to be super consistent and I managed that today, so I was very happy.”

Four of Australia’s current LPGA Tour contingent did their country proud at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in San Francisco.

Seeded 7th at the start of the week, the Australian team of Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou and Sarah Kemp defeated both Korea and Japan in the round robin matches to earn a place in the semifinals.

With a format change for the final day, the Aussies secured a spot in the finals with a clean win over Sweden in the semis. In the two singles games, Stephanie Kyriacou defeated Anna Nordqvist 4&3 and Hannah Green defeated Caroline Hedwall 3&2 while Minjee Lee and Sarah Kemp achieved a 5&3 four-a-side victory over Madelene Sagstrom and Maja Stark.

But in a repeat of their last round robin duel, Team Thailand again proved too strong in the final.

Atthaya Thitikul provided Kyriacou 4&2, Patty Tavatanakit defeated Green 4&3 and Sisters Jutanugarn, Moriya and Ariya defeated Lee and Kemp 4&3

Adam Scott’s fifth-place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship was his best PGA TOUR result since last August, resulting in a rise to 37th in the world rankings and a check for $772,500.

Scott had plans to rein in runaway leader Wyndham Clark early in the final lap, but bogeys on one and six made the task all the more difficult.

A two-putt birdie on the seventh par-5 and a 15-foot birdie putt on the eight provided some positive momentum, but a back nine from a 37-plus prevented Scott from making a bigger impression on the course .

Results

Epson tour
Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes
Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, Garden City, Kansas
1 Gabriela Ruffels 62-64-71-197 $30,000
T21 Robyn Choi 69-69-70-208 $2,260
T29 Cassie Porter 69-68-72-209 $1,764
T36 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 71-69-70—210 $1,420
MC Emily Mahar 74-74-148

PGA TOUR
Wells Fargo Championship
Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
1 Wyndham Clark 67-67-63-68-265 $3.6 million
T5 Adam Scott 67-68-67-71-273 $772,500
T59 Cam Davis 71-70-73-72-286 $44,600
T59 Harrison Endycott 74-66-71-75-286 $44,600
MC Jason Day 72-70-142

LPGA Tour
Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown
TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California
final
Atthaya Thitikul defeated Steph Kyriacou 4&2
Patty Tavatanakit def. Hannah Green 4&3
Moriya Jutanugarn/Ariya Jutanugarn def. Minjee Lee/Sarah Kemp 4&3

semifinals
Stephanie Kyriacou defeated Anna Nordqvist 4&3
Hannah Green def. Caroline Hedwall 3&2
Minjee Lee/Sarah Kemp def. Madelene Sagstrom/Maja Stark 5&3

round robin
Australia vs Korea
Minjee Lee/Steph Kyriacou defeated Hye-Jin Choi/In Gee Chun by 2 points
Hannah Green/Sarah Kemp def. Jin Young Ko/Hyo Joo Kim 2&1

Australia vs Japan
Minjee Lee/Steph Kyriacou defeated Nasa Hataoka/Ayaku Furue by 2 points
Hannah Green/Sarah Kemp separated Hinako Shibuno/Yuka Saso

Australia vs Thailand
Patty Tavatanakit/Atthaya Thitikul def. Minjee Lee/Steph Kyriacou 1
Moriya Jutanugarn/Ariya Jutanugarn def. Hannah Green/Sarah Kemp 3&2

DP world tour
DS Automobiles Italian Open
Marco Simone GC, Rome, Italy
1 Adrian Meronk 68-68-66-69—271 €500,495.38
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 69-78-147
MC Jason Scrivener 74-75-149

Asia tour
The 42nd GS Caltex Maekyung Open
Namseoul Country Club, Korea
Event reduced to 54 holes due to rain
1 Chanmin Young 63-68-66—197 $US222,222.22
T31 Zach Murray 75-67-69-211 $8,018.52
T43 Wonjoon Lee 71-70-72—213 $6,000
T43 Kevin Yuan 76-64-73—213 $6,000
T51 Terry Pilkadaris 69-71-74-214 $4,888.89
T60 Junseok Lee 72-70-73—215 $4,074.07
T60 Scott Hend 71-71-73-215 $4,074.07
MC Todd Sinnott 74-73-147

PGA TOUR Champions
Mitsubishi Electric classic
TPC Sugar Loaf, Duluth, Georgia
1 Stephen Ames 65-64-68-197 $300,000
T10 David McKenzie 72-70-66-208 $41,714
T17 Stuart Appleby 72-66-71-209 $29,150
T17 Rod Pampling 66-71-72-209 $29,150
T52 Richard Green 71-76-69-216 $5,200
T64 John Send 74-75-70—219 $2,600

challenge tour
UAE challenge
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
1 Maximilian Rottluff 68-73-63-70-274 €43,481.95
T46 Jarryd Felton 74-70-73-71—288 €1,277.28
T51 Maverick Antcliff 71-68-76-74—289 €1,096.11
T54 Hayden Hopewell 72-72-74-72—290 €1,005.52
MC Jordan Zunic 73-72-145

PGA TOUR Latin America
be open
Quito Tennis and Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador
1 Toni Hakula 64-76-65-67-272
T34 Harry Hillier (NZ) 70-70-73-69-282
T37 Charlie Hillier (NZ) 74-64-71-74-283
MC Aaron Pike 73-71-144
MC Denzel Ieremia (NZ) 74-82-156

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