When you have competed in a golf event earlier than or have had the prospect to play a prestigious golf course like Augusta Nationwide, Pine Valley, or Pebble Seaside, all about first tee jitters.
Nerves tickle up and down your backbone, and you may solely hope your membership makes contact with the ball. It’s a nerve-wracking sensation that each golfer has felt sooner or later of their life. When you fail to make contact — or God forbid you high one off the primary tee — you’ll possible really feel embarrassed for the remainder of the day.
However golf is a humorous sport, and generally, stuff like this occurs to the very best gamers on this planet.
Simply ask Tom Kim.
Enjoying within the penultimate pairing alongside Tony Finau and Andrew Novak, Kim started his third spherical at 10-under, 4 pictures behind 36-hole chief Sepp Straka. Kim has performed in loads of Important Occasions earlier than, however by some means, he topped his opening tee shot on the par-4 1st gap at Pebble Seaside.
Numerous amateurs have accomplished that loads of occasions over time on the primary tee at Pebble.
However a PGA Tour professional?
It doesn’t occur usually — though Francesco Molinari instantly involves thoughts. 4 years in the past, the 2018 Champion Golfer of the Yr topped his opening drive on the identical precise tee. Humorous sufficient, that shot additionally got here throughout the third spherical of the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.
However in contrast to Kim, who went on to chip in for a birdie on the primary gap in spectacular trend, Molinari might solely summon a bogey and went on to shoot a 4-over 76 that day. The Italian in the end completed 59th after starting the weekend in a tie for fifteenth.
As for Kim, the 22-year-old made one other birdie on the par-5 2nd to maintain himself in rivalry as he eyes his first victory of 2025. With the climate anticipated to show borderline unfair, something can occur on Saturday in Monterrey — even a gap high.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
