PGA Tour: Korea’s band of brothers stay in title hunt at Shriners Children’s Open
- Tom Kim and compatriot Si Woo Kim tied for third at halfway stage at TPC Summerlin
- Tom Kim’s 4-under 67 keeps him in hunt for second tour title in just 4 starts
Korea’s Tom Kim boosted his hopes of winning a second PGA Tour title in four starts when he signed for a flawless four-under 67 to share third place with compatriot Si Woo Kim after the second round of the Shriners Children’s Open.
The 20-year-old, who won the Wyndham Championship in August, fired four birdies on his front nine at TPC Summerlin to reach the halfway mark on 10-under, two shots back of leader Mito Pereira.
Si Woo, meanwhile, bounced back from a triple bogey on the par-4 12th by responding with an and a birdie at 15 and 16 to salvage a solid 68, having birdied three of his five opening holes.
Compatriot S.H. Kim, who graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour, was two strokes back in joint ninth on 8-under after returning a 69, while defending champion Sungjae Im will enter the weekend in T17 place after a 70 to sit on 135.
Pereira shot a 63 to take a one shot lead on 12-under, with Robby Shelton matching his effort to come in solo second.
Tom might have done even better, but after fireworks over the first seven holes, he finished with 10 pars in a row.
“It was pretty boring after nine, but I hung in there and kept myself in it, I think that was the biggest thing, not losing it right away,” he said. “I stayed really patient and gave myself a good spot going into the weekend.”
Byeong Hun An of Korea and Taiwan’s Kevin Yu also made the cut after both returned matching 68s, while Chinese trio, Carl Yuan, Xuewen Luo and Marty Dou all missed the cut.