Twelve months ago, Kris Kim was a 16-year-old fresh face.
in spite of. When the PGA Tour debuted in the CJ Cup facing TPC Craig Ranch, Texas, the British amateur star not only became the fifth-smallest PGA Tour player of all time, but he also nearly won the ace in the third round.
This week, a 17-year-old veteran, he will return to the event in hopes of repeating the excitement, and he will become the first elite scholar of the Wentworth Club's history.
It's the latest exciting plot of a teenager who won three and half games in four games in the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup, breaking into the international stage for the first time.
He has the latest opportunity from the Wentworth Foundation, which will allow him to access three prestigious courses at the club and all practical facilities including the newly opened state-of-the-art Wentworth Golf Academy.
“I was so happy when I discovered the scholarship,” King said. “The idea of practicing and playing at Wentworth every day is so cool. I want to take the game to the next level and Wentworth is where I achieve that. I'm so excited and thank everyone at the club to achieve that.”
Club manager Stuart Boyle explained that this year’s club captain Brady Rafuse wants the foundation to be his charity of choice, adding: “We also want to introduce an elite level to the current program that makes the most of three courses, sensational practice facilities and our excellent Newwinter Golf Academy.
“I’ve been to most golf colleges around the world, and Wentworth is the best I’ve ever seen.
Huge potential
“We know Kris has great potential. He’s a cute lad, very mature. He played on the PGA Tour and he knows what he’s doing. He ticks a lot of boxes.
“Wentworth can strengthen his game and we’d love to see a young golfer in the BMW PGA Championship with the Wentworth Foundation logo on his bag.
Wentworth also owns Taylormade Performance Lab, which will further enhance Kim’s experience as he is the first British amateur golfer to sign a zero (name, image and similarity) contract with the brand.
“The Wentworth Foundation is a very positive step in supporting and developing future talents like Kris,” said Mark Thistleton, Director of DP World Tour at Taylormade.
“In addition to the facilities, he will be surrounded by a support network including Taylormade, which will provide him with all the opportunities to become a world-class golfer.”
Last year, Kim Jong Il headed to the CJ Cup in his GCSE revision. So how did he perform in the exam? “I did a good job in addition to religious studies,” he admitted. “I revised a completely wrong topic!”
However, he did take the courses in the course.
“I used to play on the defensive end, but I realized in the CJ Cup that you need to lower it,” he said. “It's low or go home.”
Read more: Seed golf balls enter country miles and have sensational new alignment marks
