Time for tune-up
Kim prepares for return of Symetra Tour
BELLA VISTA — Dylan Kim was on the golf course in mid-March when her cellphone alert pinged. It was an incoming text message, and the content was shocking.
The Symetra Tour was going on hiatus as the coronavirus pandemic swept through the country.
“Everyone was texting me, and I was getting emails on my phone,” Kim recalled. “I just had to sit down for a minute, then I started calling people to see if this could be real.
“I know we were all shocked. Everyone had said this was a possibility, but we didn’t think it would actually happen.”
Three months later with the heat of summer taking over, Kim is back on the golf course, competing on the Women’s All Pro Tour this week in the NWA Charity Classic. She will play a couple of WAPT events, including a tournament in Texarkana, before rejoining the Symetra Tour in late July in Battle Creek, Mich.
Kim did not make the cut this week after a shooting a 73-80 at Scotsdale Golf Course on Wednesday and Thursday, then a 75 on Friday at Bella Vista Country Club to finish at 16 over. But this week was more about getting reps and being back in competition for the first time since early March, she said.
During her hiatus, the former University of Arkansas All-SEC golfer worked on her swing and stayed in shape.
“I live about 45 minutes outside of Dallas, and I was really lucky that that area was not as affected by covid as some others,” Kim said.
“So I was able to get out and play. The courses there never closed.”
Kim said the pandemic has not had an effect on her personal life, so she has been able to carry on pretty normal.
When the Symetra Tour restarts, she will have full status for the nine events this season and all of next season, she said. With changes to the LPGA this year that will prevent players from Monday qualifying, Kim said she will focus solely on the Symetra Tour for the rest of the season and focus on the pursuit of her LPGA Tour card in 2021.
“Having full status, that means I will be able to tee it up for any of the events I enter,” Kim said. “Since there won’t be any [LPGA] cards given out this year, we will all start fresh next year.”
Kim’s former teammate at Arkansas, Maria Fassi, is leading the NWA Charity Classic after three rounds. She shot a 3-under 69 on Friday at Bella Vista Country Club to maintain a threeshot lead heading into today’s final round at 10 under. Kelly Whaley is at 7 under after a 4-under 68 on Friday.
Arkansas golfer Brooke Matthews, who Kim has been staying with this week, moved into a tie for eighth at even par after a 2-under 70 on Friday. Matthews is playing as an amateur.
Amateurs are making their presence known as Lauren Hartlage, a recent graduate from Louisville, and 15-year-old Alexa Pano are each six shots back at 4 under. Ashley Gilliam of Mississippi State is at 2 under after three rounds.
Fassi will tee off at 9:30 a.m. today from No. 1 with Whaley and Hartlage. Matthews’ group, which also includes Ann Parmerter and Maria fernanda Lira Solis will go off at 9:10 a.m. from No. 1. Pano tees off at 9:20 a.m. on No. 1.
On the men’s side, the numbers continued to go low as Sam Stevens rocketed up the leaderboard after Friday’s third round.
Stevens fired a 10-under 62 to take a two-shot lead over Brax McCarthy and Trey Mullinax, who are at 23 under. Mullinax also shot a 62 on Friday.
Former Arkansas golfer Alvaro Ortiz was 7 under Friday to move to 14 under for the tournament and into a tie for 14th.
Stevens, McCarthy and Mullinax will be in the same group today, teeing off at 8:50 a.m. from No. 1. Ortiz will tee off at 8:10 a.m. in a group that will include Sebastian Saavedra and Blake Elliott.