Kim rolls to victory in John Deere
He breaks Stricker’s tournament record
Michael Kim didn’t just win his first PGA Tour event on Sunday. He dominated in a fashion never seen at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
Kim’s prizes? A little over a million bucks, a two-year exemption on tour and a trip to the British Open.
Kim shot a final-round 66 on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic by a record-setting eight strokes. Kim, who turned 25 on Saturday, finished at 27under 257 to break Steve Stricker’s tournament record from 2010 by one shot.
Kim also qualified for next week’s Open at Carnoustie – an unexpected bonus for a player who had missed five of his last six cuts before his breakthrough in the Quad Cities.
Kim also made 30 birdies for the week, a season high on tour in 2018.
Kim surpassed Stricker’s mark with a 21-foot putt on No. 16. The understated Kim finally let loose, holding his hand to his ear in a nod to a cheering gallery.
Stricker, the three-time John Deere Classic champion from Madison, finished tied for 46th at 274.
U.S. Senior Women’s Open: Laura Davies immediately recognized the significance of having her name inscribed on the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open trophy.
It might be a long time before anyone secures the title as emphatically as Davies did.
Davies went virtually unchallenged in the final round of the inaugural USGA championship for women 50 and older, claiming the title by 10 strokes over Juli Inkster in Wheaton, Ill.
“It’s great seeing this (trophy) paraded down for the very first time and I get my name on it first, you know?” Davies said. “This championship will be played for many years and there will only be one first winner – obviously a proud moment for me to win that.”
Senior Players Championship: Vijay Singh birdied the second playoff hole to beat Jeff Maggert and win in Highland Park, Ill.
Singh knocked in a putt from about 2 feet after a nearly perfect approach on the 18th hole at Exmoor Country Club, giving an understated fist pump as the ball fell in.
That gave him his first major title on the PGA Tour Champions to go with victories at the Masters and two PGA Championships.
LPGA Tour: Thidapa Suwannapura won for the first time on the tour, closing with a 6-under 65 and hitting a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Brittany Lincicome at the Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 25-year-old Thai player is the sixth first-time winner on tour this year. Her previous best finish in 120 starts was seventh at the 2014 Kingsmill Championship.
American Century Championship: Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo rallied from four points back to win the celebrity tournament in South Lake Tahoe, Nev.
Romo, who retired after the 2016 NFL season and is now an analyst for CBS, had 27 points on the day to beat threetime defending champion Mark Mulder and San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, the former University of Wisconsin star who was the leader after the first two rounds.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied for 18th at 44 points.