Australia’s sturdy LPGA contingent will not be letting the nation’s latest golf star Grace Kim get complacent after her astonishing victory on the Evian Championship earlier this month.
Kim’s maiden main triumph was hailed throughout the globe for one of many best finishes within the historical past of the game when she defeated world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul in a playoff in France.
The 24-year-old from Sydney completed her fourth spherical with a surprising birdie-birdie-par-eagle run earlier than chipping in for birdie to remain alive on the primary playoff gap after hitting an errant second shot within the water.
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She then clinched the title with an eagle on the second playoff gap courtesy of a pearler of a second shot into the par 5 18th inexperienced with a 4-hybrid like she did on the 72nd gap.
It really was a star is born second.
Miracle streak lifts Grace Kim to glory | 03:25
Kim grew to become the toast of Australian sport in a single day, and understandably, her telephone blew up with texts and Instagram direct messages from the who’s who of Australian sport.
She was appreciative of phrases of congratulations from the likes of seven-time main winner Karrie Webb, whose annual scholarship for budding Australian feminine golfers Kim was a recipient of, and three-time tennis grand slam champion Ashleigh Barty.
Kim was even caught without warning by a message from ‘The Nice White Shark’ himself.
“Greg Norman began following me on Instagram and he left me a message saying ‘properly accomplished, it was an ideal end’,” she recalled.
“I stated ‘oh my god, the Greg Norman simply message me, thanks a lot’, however to be sincere, I believed it was his agent or somebody.
“I didn’t anticipate a response again, however he responded again once more in order that was fairly cool.”
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Within the common sport fan’s social media feed, Kim’s fellow Australians went viral for his or her reactions to her well-known chip-in.
Imagery and photographs of them storming the 18th inexperienced to spray their countrywoman in champagne, as she had accomplished for his or her previous successes, additionally unfold far and large.
Stephanie Kyriacou was a type of Australians who took nice enjoyment of her childhood good friend’s success, however she stated earlier this week forward of the AIG Girls’s Open, beginning Thursday at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, that she must “get a wriggle on” to maintain up with Kim.
When requested concerning the reception she has obtained from her fellow Australians because the Evian Championship in an unique interview with foxsports.com.au, Kim stated that the likes of Kyriacou have taken it upon themselves to make sure that she doesn’t get forward of herself.
“I give them just a little little bit of banter as traditional and so they simply comeback with ‘oh, now that you just’re a serious champ’,” Kim stated with fun.
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The world No.26 was additionally humbled on the golf course final week, lacking the minimize on the Girls’s Scottish Open in her first begin since changing into a serious champion.
Kim shot rounds of 73 and 76 to overlook the weekend by 4 pictures at Dundonald Hyperlinks as her new title sat uncomfortably along with her.
“It felt bizarre,” she stated of arriving at a match as a serious champion for the primary time.
“Clearly I acquired numerous congratulations, and it’s nonetheless bizarre to listen to it.
“The congratulations half is ok, however individuals say like ‘hey, main champ’ and it’s a bit humorous nonetheless.
“They’ve posted about me just a few occasions (on social media) and stated ‘the key champ is on the town’ and even that I’m like, it’s arduous to consider.”
The added consideration was definitely a shock to the system after per week of relative anonymity, except for being recognised at Geneva Airport by a person holding a newspaper open to a photograph of her holding the trophy, instantly following her Evian Championship victory.
Kim loved per week in London along with her mom, whose maiden European journey was made all of the extra particular by her daughter’s unimaginable French efficiency.
“It was simply mum and I, in order that was already very good,” she stated.
“We took a while to buy round and it’s really her first time in Europe.
“Clearly had an ideal week the primary week, and I simply needed to take the time to indicate her round London.
“We had some good meals, walked round some markets and did all of the vacationer spots like Massive Ben.
“Which simply had a pleasant, mellow time, which is sort of all I want.”
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Kim 18th eagle: “One of many best!” | 02:14
Kim’s choice for a slower tempo often is the silver lining to her Scottish shortcomings.
Lacking the weekend motion allowed her to journey south to Wales sooner, and get to work forward of the ultimate girls’s main of the 12 months the place the 9 Australians within the subject are chasing an unprecedented third straight main victory by a golfer representing the inexperienced and gold.
“It’s been a minute since I performed hyperlinks golf so dusting off the rust final week, however I believe it was an ideal alternative to return down early,” Kim stated.
“So, we drove Saturday and got here right here early, and did a little bit of technical work early.
“Feeling good. We’re again on observe and dealing the wind route properly, and adjusting to the inexperienced speeds properly.
“Form of realized just a few extra strategies for across the greens. So, confidence is constructing, for positive.”
Regardless of her bubbly persona, confidence has not at all times come simply to Kim on the golf course.
She was an elite junior, successful a Youth Olympics gold medal in 2018 in addition to each the Australian Junior and the Australian Newbie titles.
Upon turning skilled late in 2021, she rose via the ranks shortly, graduating from the secondary United States Tour, the Epson Tour, to the LPGA on the first try.
Roughly 18 months after turning skilled, Kim was an LPGA champion, bursting onto the scene with a victory on the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in her debut season.
However there have been additionally close to misses heartbreaks each at dwelling on the Australian Open and abroad, similar to when she was overwhelmed in a playoff on the Meijer LPGA Basic final 12 months after beginning the ultimate spherical with a five-shot lead.
The stress was mounting this 12 months earlier than Evian as time was working out on her two 12 months winner’s exemption.
Her place was removed from secured within the LPGA’s season ending occasions, nor was it on the Australian workforce for the Worldwide Crown – a biennial LPGA occasion in Hawaii the place eight nationwide groups compete in opposition to each other.
“Earlier than Evian, I believe I used to be like 99th on the planet so I used to be stressing about ensuring I preserve my card as a result of it was my final 12 months for the winner’s class from my Hawaii win,” Kim stated.
“The stress of moving into Worldwide Crown was in there.
“The stress of moving into the again finish of the 12 months tournaments was there.
“Now, that’s clearly off the desk, in order that’s settled my thoughts just a little bit and lowered the stress ranges, which is sweet.
“However I’m simply going to maintain doing what I’m doing.
“I’m not going to take too many tournaments out of my schedule, however I do have chunk of time at dwelling this off season to develop my sport.
“I don’t have a lot of a undertaking to take day off proper now.
“I’m simply going to maintain chipping away and preserve doing what I’ve been doing.”
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Time at house is on the playing cards throughout the Australian summer time.
The Sydneysider frequents her dwelling course of Avondale Golf Membership when at again on dwelling soil, and is commonly beating the male professionals who play on the PGA Tour of Australasia and in addition name Avondale dwelling.
She at the moment has her fingers crossed that the LPGA schedule shall be clear to permit her to play within the Australian Open in March now that the match has return to a stand-alone format somewhat than being held at the side of the boys in December, instantly following the LPGA’s Tour Championship, because it was for the final three years.
Kim’s pleasure and fervour for Australian golf is one thing that has been partly instilled in by Webb via the scholarship expertise.
When Kim was simply a young person, Webb flew her out to America and he or she simply so occurred to be there when Hannah Inexperienced gained the 2019 Girls’s PGA Championship.
Along with her win on the Evian, Kim grew to become the fifth Australian feminine golfer ever to win a serious, and the third lively participant alongside Inexperienced and three-time main champion Minjee Lee.
All three of whom have come via Webb’s self-funded scholarship program, and Kim stated a catch up is so as once they return to the US.
“I misplaced my voice like Saturday to Tuesday so I couldn’t get to name her, however I referred to as on Wednesday and we FaceTimed, and clearly she was very completely happy,” Kim stated of Webb after her Evian victory.
“She stated that she’s by no means screamed at a TV and jumped so excessive on the identical time.
“For her to have the ability to really feel these feelings (is actually particular).
“We’ve come alongside manner and we’ve constructed that relationship.
“However we’re planning to fulfill up and discuss how far we’ve all come.
“Clearly me, Minjee, Greeny we’ve all come via her scholarship program and it simply displays how a lot she’s accomplished for us.”
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“By that we’ve had three main winners now so hopefully we get some good high quality time to speak about how good all of us are,” she added with a chuckle.
They are going to all be little doubt hoping for main success to speak about at that dinner after this week’s AIG Girls’s Open.
Australian golfers have file on the British hyperlinks, however Webb was the final to triumph there in 2002.
Kim believes her and her countrywomen can lean on their recollections of taking the junior ranks by storm to finish that 23-year drought on the Welsh coast this week.
“It undoubtedly reminds us again of our junior days,” she stated of hyperlinks golf.
“That’s the place we developed our expertise, these pictures like bump and runs and issues like that.
“The primary distinction I seen the primary time I performed UK hyperlinks programs was how sluggish the greens have been.
“As a result of clearly Sandbelt it’s working at 14 on a regular basis (on the stimpmeter) the place right here it’s simply ten.
“I believe we’ve all acquired an ideal understanding of methods to work across the course, however you at all times be taught just a little bit extra annually, simply what you are able to do just a little bit higher as a result of it’s a little bit completely different.”
Kim’s 4-hybrid entered Australian golf folklore along with her pictures into the 18th inexperienced on the Evian, however followers mustn’t anticipate comparable excessive ball flights that roll again in direction of the outlet from the again of the inexperienced this time round.
“The 4-hybrid I believe shall be extra of a bump and runner this week,” she stated with fun.