AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tom Kim summarized his first practice round at Augusta National Golf Club in one word.
“Special.”
Kim, a 20-year-old Masters rookie, played nine holes Monday alongside Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Rory McIlroy. The group played the second nine, and Kim was the only player to reach the newly designed 13th hole in two shots.
“I love Tom Kim,” Couples said. “We set this up at the Presidents Cup, and I think he was a little excited to play with Rory and Tiger. He had a blast, and they love him. Rory has played a few times with him. I don’t think Tiger ever has, but he’s a really sharp player. He hits the ball really, really good.”
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Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Tom Kim skip across the pond on the 16th during a practice round ahead of the 2023 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network)
In addition to competing on the International Presidents Cup team, Kim won twice on the PGA Tour in 2022 at Greensboro and Las Vegas. The Korean became the first player since Woods in 1996 to capture multiple wins on Tour before turning 21.
When speaking about Monday’s nine holes, Kim shied from details, but stated, “I was very fortunate to get this opportunity.”
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