16-YEAR-OLD AMATEUR WHO BEAT MILES RUSSELL AT THE JUNIOR RYDER CUP TO MAKE PGA TOUR DEBUT NEXT WEEK
Hot on the heels of the news that 15-year-old Miles Russell will make his first PGA Tour start in November’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship, another young amateur star is set to make his debut on the circuit - and he beat Russell in a match at last year's Junior Ryder Cup.
Per X account Amateur Golf Bible, next week’s CJ Cup Bryon Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch will mark the PGA Tour debut of 16-year-old English amateur Kris Kim, who will be appearing thanks to NIL (name, image and likeness) sponsorships with the CJ Group, Under Armor Golf and TaylorMade Golf.
Kim's first amateur victory came a year ago at the Fairhaven Trophy. He followed that up with a win at the McGregor Trophy, before another triumph at the R&A Boys Amateur Championship last August.
However, the best was yet to come. Kim then played a starring role for Stephen Gallacher’s Team Europe at the Junior Ryder Cup in Italy, where he was undefeated as he contributed 3.5 points in the team’s emphatic 20.9 to 9.5 victory over Team USA - its first since 2006.
That included a 5&4 win in the final day singles match against Russell, who made history last week by becoming the youngest player to make the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event before eventually finishing T20 at the Suncoast Classic.
Walton Heath-based Kim, who will sit his GCSE exams back home in Surrey shortly after his appearance in Texas, comes from a golfing family. His mother, Korean Ji-Hyun Suh, played on the LPGA Tour in the 1990s.
Clearly, that influence has rubbed off on the youngster, who is known for his consistent ball striking. That talent was recognized by the Korea-based CJ Group, and he became the first amateur to be sponsored by the company, joining PGA Tour pros including Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, KH Lee and Byeong Hun An.
Kim is also the first amateur to be signed to an NIL contract by Under Armour and TaylorMade.
After signing with the CJ Group in May 2023, Kim was asked which event would make for the ideal PGA Tour debut. Per Women and Golf, he responded: “Definitely the CJ Cup.” Now, almost a year on, that wish has been granted.