Golf superstar Tom Kim made his intentions very clear on Tuesday: he wants to build a legacy on the PGA Tour that rivals the best players to have ever picked up a club.
Speaking ahead of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Kim reaffirmed his loyalty to the PGA Tour and stated his goal was always to compete in America, as opposed to moving to LIV Golf following his previous successes on the Asian Tour.
After winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit which spanned across 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to pandemic-related cancellations, there was potential for Kim to be lured to the Saudi-backed series which has a strong relationship with the Asian Tour.
But the 20-year-old has taken the Tour by storm. He became the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice before turning 21 years old by taking the Shriners Children's Open in October.
Woods is one of the players that Kim wants to emulate in his career. The South Korean is certainly on the right trajectory as he flies the flag for his nation at 15th in the world rankings.
Tom Kim & Joe. pic.twitter.com/iRm8TaGs5O
— PGATOUResp (@pgatouresp) December 24, 2022
"My goal has always been to play on the PGA Tour. My goal has never been fazed and I have never thought about anything else," Kim said in Hawaii on Tuesday.
"It's still going to be that way because - I played golf because I wanted to play on the PGA Tour and nowhere else.
"The whole team has talked about it, but like we're just going to be, we're just going to stay where we are. I want to play against where all the best players want to be.
"I feel like a lot of - well, if you see Tiger's career, Jack Nicklaus's career, all these guys, they have come from the PGA Tour and it has a legacy. So (I'm) hoping to do the same and stay here for as long as I can."
After receiving a Special Temporary Membership in 2022 and only playing 11 events on Tour, Kim will finally be unleashed on the full schedule and all of the Elevated Events coming his way in 2023
He pointed out the WM Phoenix Open as an event he is looking forward to. The final round of this tournament in February is on the same day as the Super Bowl which is being held 30 minutes away at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The energy Kim brings to the Tour certainly matches the energy brought to TPC Scottsdale by the crowd and more golf fans are starting to take notice of the young phenomenon.
"I'm not that big of a star yet, so it hasn't been that crazy. But I spent time back home a little bit. I've definitely had a few more people recognise me on the streets, which is, I think it's great."
