Chan Kim eagles fourth again, stretches lead to five at ISCO Championship
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Chan Kim holes out for eagle to take lead at ISCO Championship
Written by Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Chan Kim eagled the par-4 fourth hole for the second straight day, this time with a 36-yard chip in a 2-under 68 that stretched his lead to five strokes Friday in the ISCO Championship.
On Thursday at Hurstbourne Country Club, Kim holed out from 123 yards on No. 4 and shot a 61 to take a four-shot lead in the Additional Event on the PGA TOUR also sanctioned by the DP World Tour
“Obviously, the hole-out on four again,” Kim said. “I don’t know what the odds are of doing that, but boy, if I could make four twos on that hole I’d be very happy.”
Kim also holed a 35-foot birdie chip on the par-4 eighth to get to 11 under — with Kris Ventura (64), Vince Whaley (67) and Thomas Rosenmueller (69) tied for second at 6 under.
“I think this is a course where you just have to stay patient,” said Kim, the 35-year-old former Arizona State player who was born in South Korea and grew up in Hawaii. "I know I shot 9 under yesterday, but the course is not playing that easy.”
Chan Kim extends lead with back-to-back birdies at ISCO Championship
An eight time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, he's chasing his first PGA TOUR title.
“Just keep my foot down," Kim said. “I know that these guys are so good, somebody’s going to catch up. I already know that. The best I can do is handle myself the way I did when I won all those events and that’s just to stay patient and play my game.”
The tournament winner will receive a two-year exemption and a PGA Championship spot next year. No one in the field is in The Open Championship next week. Harry Hall, the winner in a playoff last year at Keene Trace, qualified for The Open and is playing the Genesis Scottish Open.
Kim opened with a birdie on the par-5 10th, then dropped strokes on the par-4 11th, 16th and first holes. He eagled the fourth after hitting a 333-yard drive just short of the green, birdied the the par-5 seventh and holed the chip on No. 8.
Chan Kim throws a dart to set up birdie at ISCO Championship
“I think it’s very important to accept that when you do make a mistake, just accept it and go out there with full confidence and plan your next shot and see what you can do from there,” Kim said.
David Skinns (64) was 5 under with Rico Hoey (67), Zac Blair (66), Kevin Kisner (69), Nick Hardy (68), Callum Tarren (68), Paul Peterson (68) and Beau Hossler (68).
Auburn junior Jackson Koivun was 1 under after a 66. He tied for 11th last week in the John Deere Classic.
Kentucky native J.B. Holmes missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 72. He played on a sponsor exemption.
