Kim becomes youngest Players’ champion
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Si Woo Kim made Sunday at The Players Championship look like child’s play.
From a tough lie behind the green, in a bunker with not much room between him and the pin, or even standing on the 17th tee and staring at an island, the 21-year-old South Korean never flinched and never made worse than par.
Kim kept a clean card to the end for a 3-under 69 to become the youngest champion in the 44-year history of the biggest tournament this side of the majors.
“I feel like I’m still dreaming that I won this championship,” Kim said after his three-stroke victory.
On a windy afternoon at the TPC Sawgrass, where anything can go wrong without notice, Kim was the only player to go bogey-free in the final round that derailed everyone else in a hopeless pursuit of him. His last hurdle was getting by the final two holes where not even his two-shot lead was safe — the island green at the par-3 17th and a closing hole with water all the way down the left side.
Kim landed safely and two-putted from 45 feet, and then he smashed another drive down the middle of the 18th fairway. Ian Poulter bogeyed No. 18 and closed with a 71 to tie for second with Louis Oosthuizen, who shot 73.
Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., finished nine strokes back, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford was 11 shots off Kim’s pace and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., finished at 9 over.
The previous youngest champion of The Players was Adam Scott, who was 23 when he won in 2005.