Asian stars Si Woo Kim, Kevin Yu out to make a mark at the Players Championship

 

Winner in 2017, Si Woo Kim is hungry for a repeat at the Players Championship this week as he seeks to join greats like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler who have achieved the feat. The South Korean star already holds a special place in history as the youngest champion of the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament at 21, fending off a quality field to achieve stardom and is now a four-time Tour winner. 

When he triumphed eight years ago, he took home a crystal trophy, which the tournament has since replaced with a Gold Man trophy crafted in the shape of a swinging golfer which forms part of the Tour’s marquee, the PGA Tour said. 

Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei’s Kevin Yu is at the Players Championship knowing that he doesn’t need to play perfect golf to achieve success. The 26-year-old will make his second appearance at the $25 million event at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course, out to ensure his game continues to trend upwards following a maiden Tour title last October. 

Fellow Taipei player C.T. Pan will also be in the elite 125-man field in his sixth Players appearance. 

“The game has been good. I’ve had two top-20 finishes which is pretty good and I feel like the game is trending in the right direction,” said Yu, one of only three golfers from Chinese Taipei to win on the PGA Tour. “At the beginning of the year, I felt like I was hitting it great but I put myself under too much pressure and set a high standard and tried to be like perfect every time. I mean, you can't always be perfect. You have to accept misses and being in other situations that you don't want to be in and it's just going to happen. I'm trying to go out there and be free and be happy. So just try to be very positive and I think it’ll be good,” Yu added. 

Ahead of his ninth start at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, Kim said, “It’s been a while since I’ve won, and I do have a thirst for another win. But if I focus too much on that, it can make me anxious and affect my play. I want to take it shot by shot, and if the opportunity to win comes, I’ll be ready to grab it. Also, since the trophy design has changed, it would be nice to collect the new one.” 

Kim enjoys returning to TPC Sawgrass and in the privilege of having a place in the Champions Locker room in the clubhouse. Only seven players since the tournament’s inauguration in 1974 have won the Players twice, with Nicklaus being the lone three-time champion. 

A final round and career best 64 last year which saw him finish tied sixth, has given Kim the added belief that he can challenge the world’s best players for the coveted trophy again. “I ended the tournament well and it came together in the back nine. I was able to finish strongly and that memory gives me a bit of confidence coming into this week,” said the 29-year-old. 

“I come here every year, but it always feels new. Every time I come, I feel the scale of this tournament is larger than other events, so I want to perform better each year. I’m preparing well for the challenge. There are a lot of fans and the condition of the golf course improves every year. I feel that the Tour puts a lot of attention into this tournament. The past winners and the prize money have grown, which is why it’s called the fifth major,” Kim added. 

He recalls fondly of his life-changing week in 2017 where he defeated a top field by three strokes with a closing bogey-free 69 and became only the second Asian golfer after compatriot K.J. Choi (2011) to triumph at Sawgrass. While he continues to chase more victories on Tour, having a young family now following the arrival of his son, Theo, last year has changed his outlook. 

“It’s definitely the biggest tournament I’ve won. Looking back, I feel like I accomplished something great. Because of that, I want to win again. As the tournament continues to grow and the prize money increases, I want to work hard to relive that great memory,” said Kim. 

“The emotions I had towards golf were huge. Of course, it’s still important to me now, but I also have my family, and my focus has shifted somewhat towards them. I’d say I feel less stressed about golf now.” 

Kim predicts the closing stretch of three holes on the Pete Dye-design Stadium Course will play a major role in unveiling this week’s champion. When he won in 2017, he was 3 under over those three holes for the week. “The 16th to 18th holes are tricky because of the hazards. When the wind picks up, they’re harder than the other holes. The 17th hole requires careful calculation of the wind and distance, and looking back, I feel like I have played it as well as I should have. When I won here, at the time I didn’t know much about those holes. I think the pressure would be on a whole different level. Back then, I was a second-year player and I can’t believe how boldly I played and I don’t think I felt nervous at all,” Kim said. 

Yu added, “It’s always good to be back. A lot of memories from the Junior Players and it's such a special place. It’s a tough course but I love the challenge and hopefully I can play good. All the good players are here, like Scottie, and it’s the best field in the whole year. Just seeing those guys compete makes this event go up another level but it's still a tournament where I have to bring my ‘A’ game out. 

“I won the Junior Players when I was 17 but I feel like this week just means so much more. You can compete with the best players in the world, and it’s always what I dreamt of since I was a kid. So just to beat those guys, to prove that I can beat those guys … that’s going to be a big achievement.