ENGLISH golf prodigy Kris Kim could become the Luke Littler of his own sport as he prepares to make his PGA Tour debut.
Kim, 16, caught the attention of fans around the world last year when she went undefeated in the Junior Ryder Cup, picking up three and a half points as Team Europe beat Team USA 20.5 to 9.5.
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One of those points came in victory over 15-year-old American teenager Miles Russell, who last week was eliminated and placed 20th in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Suncoast Classic in Florida – the youngest player to achieve a result in the top 25. first at this level in more than 40 years.
Kim, from Surrey, has also claimed victories in the Men’s Amateur Championship, the European Men’s Single Championship and the McGregor Trophy in 2023.
Now the CJ Group, which personally sponsors Kim, has granted the talented teenager an exemption to the CJ Cup Bryon Nelson, which begins in Dallas, Texas on Thursday.
But while stars such as Will Zalatoris, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and defending champion Jason Day will take to the course focused solely on golf, Kim is having to juggle her game with GCSE revision.
When asked about balancing the two, he said, “I’m trying to revise, I promise, but it’s very difficult. My schedule is quite busy at the moment.”
Kim’s mother is pioneering golfer Ji-Hyun Suh, who paved the way for other South Korean golf stars with her performances on the LPGA Tour in the 1990s.
And Ji-Hyun, who is also Kim’s coach, will be a useful source of information for her son as he seeks to establish himself as a world-class player.
Kim said: “I will definitely ask my mom for advice. It will be a very different environment and you don’t know how you will react to it.
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“She’s my coach and we talk about everything from dealing with nerves, taking it one shot at a time, putting bad shots behind us and keeping things simple to course strategy.
“My first goal is to make the cut and then see what happens. At the end of the day, I’m one of 144 competitors and we all have a chance. Whatever happens, it will be very useful for my future because I will gain a lot of experience.
Who is Kris Kim Ji-Hyun Suh’s mother?
JI-HYUN SUH started playing golf at age 13 and turned professional in 1998.
She got a conditional card for the US and played there for two years, but didn’t like it because she traveled alone and didn’t speak much English.
Ji-Hyun returned to Japan and played there for several years before embarking on the sport in 2002.
After moving to the UK, she became a golf teacher and returned to competition in 2014 after 12 years away.
“I know I’m still young and practically every week I learn a lesson, but this week will be much bigger.”
Kim is excited at the prospect of taking on the world’s best players and will look to emulate his teenage compatriot Littler, 17, who has thrived on the darts scene despite his age.
The young golfer added, “I’m really excited to play in Texas.
“This is what you work for all the time and it’s an incredible opportunity.
“I can’t wait to play in front of big crowds again. I’ve never hit the ball as far as I did in the Ryder Cup. The adrenaline makes golf so much fun.
“That said, having competed on that route and a few other tourist routes, I am grateful for the task ahead and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
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Inside Littler’s Huge Rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since bursting onto the scene at the PDC World Championships.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
