Kim's Late Collapse Costs Him FedEx Cup Playoff Spot
Tom Kim endured a dramatic late meltdown at the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, jeopardizing his chances of making the FedEx Cup Playoffs. A disastrous final round, featuring three consecutive bogeys and double bogeys, saw him fall from a projected spot inside the top 50 to outside the qualification mark.
The 21-year-old Korean, who began the week ranked 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings, was initially on track to secure his place in the postseason. Kim, who shot a stellar 64 on Friday, birdied four of the first 13 holes on Sunday and sat comfortably in 45th place with four holes remaining.
However, his hopes were dashed by a string of costly errors on the back nine. A bogey on the par-five 16th, followed by a double bogey on the 17th, saw him tumble down the leaderboard.
âI was actually cruising. A bogey on 16 cost me a lot," Kim explained. "Hit a good drive and then another really poor missed shot, just anywhere left is fine and missed it right."
The final nail in the coffin came on the 18th hole. After finding the water hazard with his tee shot, Kim missed a crucial eight-foot putt for bogey, ultimately signing for a disappointing one-over par 71.
"I hit two bad shots that really just cost me everything. Two 5-irons, that's it," Kim said. "The drive on 18 was a good shot, and it just stayed there and the wind picked up."
Reflecting on the disappointing finish, Kim expressed his frustration with a challenging season that has seen him suffer from inconsistent form. "This season has just been like this," he admitted. "I've played really good golf, and then had some tough finishes. I feel like 2024 has really kicked me in the butt. But I've gotten so much better. I've fought really hard just to get myself into this situation. I was 90-something before we went on this run, and it looks like I'm going to miss by one. But it is what it is."
With his FedEx Cup campaign now seemingly over, Kim faces a challenging off-season as he looks to regain his form and ensure qualification for the prestigious PGA Tour events in 2025.
