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By Julio Cesar Valdera Morales
Contributing Sports Writer
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Michael Kim is one of the most recognizable faces on the PGA Tour, not just for his performance inside the ropes. He has become a fan favorite due to his extensive activity on X, handling an account that has over 204,000 followers.
Now he's also begun to make his mark in Europe, taking home one of the DP World Tour's most prestigious titles in just his second start on the circuit.
Kim made his European debut just a week ago, missing the cut at the BMW PGA Championship. But his start at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche in Paris was very different, allowing him to reach the final round just one stroke behind the then leaders Brooks Koepka and Min Woo Lee.
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It was on Sunday that Kim unleashed his full potential, while Koepka and Lee fared less well. Kim carded six bogey-free birdies to close the round at 6-under 65 and the event with a winning score of 16-under.
However, tensions rose at the end. The one-time PGA Tour winner arrived at the 212-yard, par-3 18th hole with just a one-stroke lead and sent his tee shot into a greenside bunker. He chipped it onto the green, but the ball came to rest at 15 feet from the hole.
A bogey would've meant a playoff, but Kim came through in the clutch, draining his putt with ice-cold precision when it mattered most.
The 32-year-old hadn't had a professional victory since winning the 2018 John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour.
"It's fantastic. I always wanted to be a player that plays on the international stage, not just on the PGA TOUR, and I feel like this is a fantastic start to that career," he said after his win, according to the transcripts of his post-event presser.
" ... I had a very nice season on the PGA Tour. I can't improve my status too much on the fall, and like I said, I've always wanted to play international tournaments on the DP World Tour. Everyone talks about how great Wentworth is and how great this tournament is. I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to come out here. Yeah, I'm super grateful and happy that I did decide to come here."
Kim is only the fourth American to win the Open de France, and the first to do so in 53 years, according to golf statistician Justin Ray. Previous winners were Walter Hagen (1920), Byron Nelson (1955), and Barry Jaeckel (1972).
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