You wouldn’t have known Michael Kim was seeking his first professional victory because he removed all the drama early in the final round.
The 25-year-old Kim, who grew up in San Diego and was an All-American at Cal, birdied the first three holes in a bogey-free, 5-under-par 66 to win the John Deere Classic by a whopping eight strokes over four players at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
Kim started the day with a five-shot lead after finishing round three with four straight birdies.
“It was a tough first half of the year, but I felt I was close the last couple of weeks and thought I just needed to get off to a good start,” said Kim, who won 11 times in two years with the Golden Bears and earned the 2103 Nicklaus and Haskins awards. “I played well on Thursday and just went from there.
“I’m super thankful to have my family and team here to see this. I didn’t know they were all here until I saw them on the big TV screen on the final hole. I was able to finish it off on the last two holes without making a bogey and that means a lot. I’m just very thankful.”
Kim, who earned a spot in the Open Championship this week at Carnoustie in Scotland and was on the jet that John Deere officials charter to take players to the United Kingdom on Sunday night, recorded a tournament-record score of 27-under 257.
Francesco Molinari of Italy, who claimed his first PGA Tour victory two weeks ago in the Quicken Loans National, carded a bogey-free 64 to tie for second with Joel Dahmen, who had a 65; Sam Ryder, who totaled 66, and Bronson Burgoon, who closed with a 69.
Harold Varner III shot 68 and finished nine shots back in sixth, while John Huh of Los Angeles and Cal State Northridge holed an eagle chip from 81 yards on the 17th hole en route a 66 and wound up at 10 behind in a tie for seventh with Kevin Streelman (65), Chad Campbell (66), Keith Mitchell (67) and Andres Romero (69) of Argentina.
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