Kim cleans up as TPC’s youngest winner
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. Si Woo Kim of South Korea became the youngest winner of The Players Championship with a game and nerves well beyond his 21 years.
On a TPC Sawgrass course where anything can go wrong without notice, Kim was the only player to go bogey-free Sunday and closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory in golf’s biggest tournament this side of the majors. His score was 10-under 279.
He also managed to take all the suspense from the TPC Sawgrass.
All that could stop him was the final two holes, when Kim had a two-shot lead and faced a tee shot to an island green, and then a closing hole with water all the way down the left side. Kim hit the 17th green and two-putted from 45 feet, and he smashed another drive right down the middle.
The only drama at the end came from Ian Poulter, who was happy just to be here.
Poulter, who only two weeks ago was spared his full PGA Tour status because of a clerical oversight, was the only player to seriously challenge Kim until he ran out of holes. He pushed his approach to the 18th so far to the right that it caromed off hospitality tents and bounced off a cart path into a bush.
He took a penalty drop, then hit wedge over the trees and nearly holed it, tapping in for par.
Poulter, who had gone 39 holes without a bogey until a crucial one at No. 12, closed with a 71.
He tied for second with Louis Oosthuizen (73).
Top Canadian was Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, who finished in a tie for 16th with a 1-under 287 after rounds of 67, 75, 74 and 71 Sunday. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished tied for 30th at 1-over 289 including 70 on Sunday. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., finished in a tie for 69th at 9-over 297.
Third-round co-leader J.B. Holmes had a disastrous final round. He shot 40 on the front nine and still had hope until bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes. It was the worst finish by a 54-hole leader in tournament history.