If you have competed in a golf tournament before or have had the chance to play a prestigious golf course like Augusta National, Pine Valley, or Pebble Beach, you know all about first tee jitters.
Nerves tickle up and down your spine, and you can only hope your club makes contact with the ball. It’s a nerve-wracking sensation that every golfer has felt at some point in their life. If you fail to make contact — or God forbid you top one off the first tee — you will likely feel embarrassed for the rest of the day.
But golf is a funny game, and sometimes, stuff like this happens to the best players in the world.
Just ask Tom Kim.
Playing in the penultimate pairing alongside Tony Finau and Andrew Novak, Kim began his third round at 10-under, four shots behind 36-hole leader Sepp Straka. Kim has played in plenty of Significant Events before, but somehow, he topped his opening tee shot on the par-4 1st hole at Pebble Beach.
Countless amateurs have done that plenty of times over the years on the first tee at Pebble.
But a PGA Tour pro?
It does not happen often — although Francesco Molinari immediately comes to mind. Four years ago, the 2018 Champion Golfer of the Year topped his opening drive on the same exact tee. Funny enough, that shot also came during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
But unlike Kim, who went on to chip in for a birdie on the first hole in spectacular fashion, Molinari could only summon a bogey and went on to shoot a 4-over 76 that day. The Italian ultimately finished 59th after beginning the weekend in a tie for 15th.
As for Kim, the 22-year-old made another birdie on the par-5 2nd to keep himself in contention as he eyes his first victory of 2025. With the weather expected to turn borderline unfair, anything can happen on Saturday in Monterrey — even an opening top.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
