Tom Kim gained final yr’s Shriners Children’s Open by three strokes, and presently sits tied atop the leaderboard coming into Round 4.
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It is perhaps a unique yr, however it’s the standard story for Tom Kim at the Shriners Children’s Open.
After accumulating his second profession win throughout final yr’s occasion from TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Kim received red-hot throughout Round 3 on Saturday, taking pictures a 62 due to 9 birdies and one eagle, putting him in a tie for first at 15-under with each Adam Hadwin and Lanto Griffin as Round 4 approaches on Sunday.
Kim’s 62 tied the low round of the day with Callum Tarren, who additionally carded 9 birdies and an eagle — serving to him transfer as much as 13-under and simply two photographs off the lead coming into the final round.
After taking pictures a 24-under to win final yr’s occasion, Kim’s hoping to channel that very same power to shut out a victory this yr; however there’s loads of participant nipping at his heels.
With 14 golfers separated by simply three photographs of the leaders, it’s anybody’s guess who will overcome the nerves and make the mandatory run to seize victory at the Shriners Children’s Open. So listed here are three issues to look at for throughout this yr’s final round on Sunday.
Who will be a part of the birdie fest to go lowest?
There was a typical theme throughout post-round press conferences from each participant in the discipline: The Shriners Children’s Open is shortly changing into a birdie fest, with low scores on the market for golfers to card.
While the aforementioned Kim and Tarren closed Round 3 with the most birdies of any participant (9), there have been a slew of others who almost duplicated the feat.
One of these gamers is the Canadian Hadwin — who sits for a tie atop the leaderboard heading into the final round — and is aware of precisely what it’s going to take to try to convey house the victory.
Said Hadwin when requested about his sport plan for Sunday, “make as many birdies as possible. You know, don’t move back, make as many birdies as possible, and if the wind is similar to today, I feel like we’re going to be in for a shootout.”
There are a handful of gamers who’ve but to actually be a part of the birdie fest, but nonetheless discover themselves coming into the final round with an opportunity at successful — equivalent to co-leader Griffin, who solely birdied three holes on his option to a 3-under 68 on Saturday. Can he discover the magic contact to go decrease on Sunday?
Whoever will get sizzling and might shut out the final round on a heater will seemingly be your champion — and it’s most likely going to take plenty of birdies to get there.
How will Callum Tarren channel his Round 3 confidence?
As talked about, Tarren tied Kim for the lowest round of the day on Saturday (62) — which isn’t any simple feat.
Despite the problem of taking pictures 9-under on a given day, Tarren was unfazed and assured in his personal skill, even claiming that he knew he had the sort of round in him.
When requested if he thought there was a 62 in him earlier than Round 3 began, Tarren wasn’t bashful in sharing his supreme confidence.
“If I’m being truthfully honest, yes, because I’ve played some great golf these last few weeks,” he mentioned.
“I feel as though I’m in control of my game at the moment. It’s always nice to shoot 62, but you’ve still got to do it. It’s all good thinking about it, but you’ve actually got to hit the golf shots, make the putts. Just proud of the round today.”
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With an obvious birdie fest occurring in entrance of him for Round 4, Tarren’s newfound “claw” putter grip could also be a figuring out issue of the place he finishes at this yr’s Shriners Children’s Open.
“I was clawing for a long time and switched to conventional, and after the first round this week, I went back to the claw because I didn’t make anything in Round 1,” he added. “So made the switch [back] to the claw…and today everything just went in.”
Will Tom Kim repeat?
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve observed Kim’s title lots all through the article — and with good purpose, as he’s dominated the Shriners Children’s Open the previous couple of years.
After taking pictures that aforementioned 62 throughout Round 3, just one query stays as the final round approaches: Can he repeat as champion?
Recent historical past appears to be on his facet given the dominant efficiency at TPC Summerlin final yr, in addition to his displaying so far this weekend. But Kim is aware of there’s nonetheless plenty of golf left to be performed, and that he wants to stay to his sport plan to try to go back-to-back right here in Las Vegas.
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“I feel like you’ve just got to keep your head down, make as many as you can,” he mentioned. “Once you begin taking a look at the leaderboard and also you see guys making birdies, you’re feeling like ‘oh, man, I need to start making birdies,’ and also you begin forcing issues and nearly go the reverse manner.
“That’s exactly what I did last year, and I kept my head down and tried to play my own golf and see what happened. It worked out last year, so tomorrow, I’ll have a game plan, stick to it, and see what happens.”
Should Kim maintain off the remainder of the discipline to seize victory, he’ll be a part of Jim Furyk (3) and Martin Laird and Kevin Na (2) as the solely repeat winners of the Shriners Children’s Open.
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