Kim Si-woo makes historic ace to soar into contention at PGA Championship
Kim Si-woo hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, Friday, in this Getty Images photo. AFP-Yonhap
Kim Si-woo has made the longest hole-in-one in major championship history to put himself in contention at the PGA Championship in North Carolina.
Kim finds himself two strokes off the lead in a three-way tie for second place after 36 holes at six-under par at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, Friday (local time). Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela leads the way at eight-under.
Kim's round of 64 at the par-71 course included an ace with a 5-wood at the 252-yard, par-3 sixth hole. It was the longest ace ever at a major championship.
This was Kim's second hole-in-one at a major. His first had also been a historic one. At the 2024 Open Championship, he made the longest ace in that tournament's history on the 238-yard, par-3 17th at Royal Troon.
"It's exciting," Kim said of his hole-in-one record. "I hit it exactly how I wanted. So it was cool and it was a pretty memorable hole-in-one at a major."
Kim, who began his day on the back nine, also had six birdies and a bogey to match Max Homa for the low round of the day.
Kim shot one-over 72 in the opening round and needed a big second round to stay alive for the weekend, with the cut line set at one-over. And now the 29-year-old finds himself in the mix for his first major title.
"It's still just Friday. I just played good two rounds, but still a lot of work to do," he said. "Then especially, the weekend is going to be hotter and then more tense. I'm just going to try to play my golf and just try to have fun."
Kim is one of four Koreans in the field this week. An Byeong-hun shot 73 with one birdie and three bogeys to fall to a tie for 48th place at even-par for the tournament. Tom Kim made the cut on the number at one-over after shooting 72 in the second round with two birdies, one bogey and one double bogey. He is tied for 62nd at one-over for the tournament.
Im Sung-jae, the top Korean in the world rankings at No. 18, missed the cut at five-over after posting 74 in the second round with two birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey.