Kim gains ground after dreadful start

Joohyung Kim from Korea putts on the ninth green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
Joohyung Kim from Korea putts on the ninth green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)


GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Joohyung "Tom" Kim began the Wyndham Championship with a quadruple bogey on his first hole and wasn't the least bit bothered. The kid seems to be going places in a hurry.

Already assured a PGA Tour card for next season, Kim overcame his rough start with a 6-under 64 on Friday that gave him a share of the lead with Brandon Wu and Ryan Moore in the final PGA Tour event of the regular season.

Kim, a 20-year-old South Korean, has to win at Sedgefield Country Club to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs because he will not be considered a PGA Tour member until September when the new season starts. Only a victory gives him instant membership.

He doesn't feel extra pressure to get it done. Considering where he was a month ago, Kim is happy to be where he is.

Kim -- he goes by "Tom" because of his fascination as a kid with Thomas the Tank Engine in the TV series "Thomas & Friends" -- finished third in the Scottish Open, made the cut in the British Open and 3M Open, and then finished seventh last week in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

That gave him enough points to be assured of a card next year. And as he has shown in two days, it takes a lot to stop this train.

He took eight shots for his first hole on Thursday. Since then, Kim has made 14 birdies and reached 9-under 131 along with Wu (67) and Moore (67).

"If you would have told me after the first hole yesterday where I'd be after two days, I definitely would have taken it, so pretty happy," Kim said.

"It's just one bad hole," he said, "Told myself, 'You know what? I've got plenty of holes to bring it back if I just play well on my next 35 holes.' And that's exactly what I did. I played better than I thought I was going to, so it's a bonus."

John Huh, who opened with a 61, had a 71 and was one shot behind along with Russell Henley (65) and Sungjae Im (67).

Former University of Arkansas golfer Taylor Moore is at 4-under 136. Davis Lingmerth (Razorbacks) is standing at even-par 140. Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Razorbacks) holds a score of 2-over 142 as does Andrew Landry (Razorbacks).

A storm late in the afternoon led to a delay that kept the second round from finishing until Saturday morning, and there will be consequences.

Chris Gotterup needed a par on the 18th hole for the cut to be 2-under 138. But he went into a bunker, blasted long and faced a 4-foot bogey putt when he returned in the morning. He will finish no better than 1 under, which could let as many as 23 players into the weekend.

  photo  Rickie Fowler lines up his putt on the 18th green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
 
 
  photo  Ryan Moore hits his tee shot on the tenth hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Greensboro, NC. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
 
 
  photo  Brandon Wu hits his drive on the ninth hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Greensboro, NC. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
 
 


  photo  Joohyung “Tom” Kim from Korea looks over his putt on the ninth green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
 
 


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