11 fun Tom Kim things we learned on ‘Full Swing’ — including a Tiger Woods tip

The Tom Kim examination on episode 4 of the second season of the Netflix series “Full Swing,” entitled “Show It,” eloquently deep-dives on a journey we’ve all been on. Or maybe proceed to be. On transitioning from being younger and free and enjoyable — to rising older and changing into critical and being taken earnestly. And we’ll evaluate all that in a sec. 

As a result of we have to discuss his beverage cooler. 

You see that factor?   

About six minutes in, Kim is driving on it. It’s freaking cellular. It has a music hook-up, too. With audio system. 

So there’s that. Engineering is splendidly chugging alongside, pun completely supposed. 

However yeah, there was way more from the episode. Some heady issues. Right here, then, are 10 different enjoyable gadgets we discovered about Kim, the now-21-year-old who was born in South Korea, turned professional at 15 and has develop into one of many sport’s stars, thanks to 3 PGA Tour wins and one memorable Presidents Cup appearance. 

For comfort, must you be studying this after watching, we’ll attempt to preserve issues within the order they got here within the present. 

2. Clubhouse and grounds navigation could be laborious 

OK, this isn’t a lot a Kim commentary, as it’s a basic golf one, however, man, it appears you want a lighthouse to information you thru famend properties. Towards the beginning of the episode, Kim had hassle discovering his method via the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, then, later, he hunted to seek out meals at Augusta National. You felt for him on the latter. Our hero nearly sounded touristy. It was comprehensible. Right here he was, on the Masters, and all he’d heard about had been these sandwiches — however the place may a person get one? His search even took him to the Champions Locker Room, although he’s not a champion. “I don’t assume I’m allowed to be right here,” he mentioned.

Ultimately, he discovered his sandwich. A pimento cheese one, in case you’re questioning.  

3. Magnolia Lane can also be robust to identify — as are the indicators within the parking zone

On his strategy to the Masters, Kim drove previous the Masters. He missed the fitting flip onto Magnolia Lane. (Writer’s word: It does sneak up on you. The most effective recommendation? When you’ve got the means, go on a non-Masters day and stroll to the gate. You’re even allowed to take photographs, inside cause.) Then, as soon as contained in the parking zone, he parked in a champions spot, which Scottie Scheffler identified.  

If these scenes, together with those famous instantly above, had been meant to seize a youthful, playful allure, it succeeded. 

4. He will get trash-talked 

In fact, in smack-talk-infested waters, that youthful, playful allure can also be a beacon. An invite. Since Kim’s on the happy-go-lucky aspect, the professionals poke him. 

Jordan Spieth did. On the Gamers Championship, Kim famous how he was in a position to eat a peanut-butter-and-jam sandwich — and Spieth jumped on it. “Most likely for the youngsters,” he cracked. “Which I assume consists of you.” Kim laughed. However Spieth wasn’t completed. “There’s my 15-month-old, Rickie’s [Fowler] 15-month-old and Tom Kim simply sitting criss-cross, consuming PB&J’s.”

All of it set the episode’s theme. To a degree, the humor’s cool. However to a bigger level, in his thoughts, Kim’s no joke. 

“I simply need to be taken critically,” he mentioned. 

5. The response to the mud 

An episode on the PGA Championship may not have helped. Whereas this website has previously reported on what happened, in brief, Kim slipped into mud on the sixth gap at Oak Hill whereas looking for a ball, sunk, then tried to scrub himself up in a stream. ESPN’s broadcast caught a few of it, and followers and gamers watched. The scene went viral. 

On the episode, right here had been some reactions to it:

Stated Rory McIlroy: “He’s not a typical golfer. I feel when individuals take into consideration the most effective gamers on this planet, I really feel like they need him to suit right into a sure kind of mould. Nevertheless it’s not one thing that I might do.”

Stated Spieth: “I see the video after we had been executed of him really getting in there. I don’t know what his precise plan was. However clearly it didn’t work out.” 

The present framed it as a possible turning level for Kim — and what finally adopted within the Open Championship confirmed that it was. The magic of Hollywood, proper? Not fairly, however issues did work out.  

6. Chris Como’s knowledge  

As noted here previously, Kim began to work with instructor Chris Como final 12 months, and one nugget from Como was notably fascinating. The 2 had been reviewing that Kim is a perfectionist — and Como puzzled whether or not that may very well be baked into his “course of.” They then had this alternate:

Stated Kim: “I don’t know, I really feel like generally I don’t actually care in regards to the course of. I simply need … ”  

Stated Como: “The end result?”

Stated Kim: “Yeah.”

Stated Como, who as soon as coached Tiger Woods: “You already know, I feel getting away from such a tied-to-the-outcome kind of mindset to extra of that course of, that’s a part of the maturity. You discuss Tiger, I imply, he was so into the method.”

Stated Kim: “Yeah. That’s why he’s the most effective, proper?”

7. The Open Championship harm 

We’ve additionally reported on Kim’s right ankle injury eventually 12 months’s Open Championship — the place Kim suffered a extreme ankle harm whereas stepping out of his rental home forward of the second spherical, however continued on en path to tying for second — however the episode supplied a beautiful, behind-the-scenes look. They confirmed the prognosis inside a medical truck. They confirmed him getting taped up. They confirmed him limping to the primary tee. They talked in regards to the penalties of taking part in via. Would he injury it extra? Would it not linger?  

They confirmed his response strolling off his 72nd gap along with his finest end in a significant. Some handshakes. Smiles. 

“On the highest degree of the sport, the place solely the fittest survive,” instructor Sean Foley mentioned, “Tom Kim proved taking part in with that harm, he’s actually pretty much as good as any participant on the market. I feel that the greats are going to be watching him as a result of I simply assume that sport acknowledges sport.” 

From there, Kim’s second-straight win at the Shriners Children’s Open was proven, and the episode ended. However alongside the best way, there have been just a few different Kim gadgets, together with:  

8. He’s deep into his ‘monkey mind’

Full disclosure: The writer had not heard of this earlier than. However right here was Kim’s clarification of it, instructed one night time whereas driving down Washington Highway in Augusta. 

“It’s all the time telling you to do the issues that you simply shouldn’t, particularly with cravings. I’m an enormous foodie. The monkey is all the time telling you to have the McFlurry or this or that. I hate my monkey mind as a result of it positively tells me, you’ll be able to nearly style the ice cream or the chocolate or no matter.” 

9. He now is aware of the ‘a**gap’ line 

The writer has heard this one, although, and possibly this says extra about him. Anyway, in a single scene, Kim was telling his agent, Ben Harrison, that he was delayed, which led to this alternate, began by Harrison:

“That seems like a ‘you’ downside.”

Stated Kim: “You’re an a**gap.”

Stated Harrison: “The factor a couple of**holes is all people wants one.” 

Stated Kim: “That was — that was not clear.” 

10. He’s single 

For this, we’ll let simply the phrases do the speaking. 

Stated Kim to Netflix: “You guys must cease having the digital camera beneath me as a result of my face simply seems like this. [Gestures outward with his hands.]”

Stated a girl within the background: “No, it doesn’t.”

Stated Kim: “You guys should be above me.”

Stated the girl: “You will have a pleasant face.”

Stated Kim: “Not a whole lot of women have instructed me to date.”

Stated the girl: “What?!”

Stated Kim: “Yup.”

Stated the girl: “Nah, I wager you might have an enormous women’ following.”

Stated Kim: “You positive? Doesn’t seem to be it.”

Stated Kim: “When individuals are seeing this, simply hit me up. I’m out there.”

11. He has 4 phrases of recommendation on hitting it exhausting   

Golf is a straightforward sport (get the ball within the gap!) performed complicatedly (test your head, chest, arms, wrists, waist, legs, knees and ft!), so it’s appreciated when somebody communicates in non-Latin. Kim did, when requested by analyst and one-time professional Smylie Kaufman what he does when he needs to hit it “exhausting.” 

Kim’s response?

“Simply swing it exhausting.”