Masters 2021: Kim si-woo still in the mix despite putting with 3-wood after breaking putter
- South Korean broke his putter in frustration after bogey on 14th hole and errant chip on 15, finishing his second round with a three wood
- The 25-year-old is 4-under and tied for sixth behind leader Justin Rose despite unorthodox end to Friday’s play
Kim Si-Woo has fast become the star of this year’s Masters thanks to a moment of frustration that many amateur golfers could empathise with.
The South Korean broke his putter after slamming it into the ground in frustration following a bogey on the 14th hole of his second round and a wild chip shot on the 15th.
He had missed his second putt by the smallest of margins and was still upset after holing out at 15, with social media users empathising with his frustration.
Kim’s three-putt and errant chip saw him toss his ball into the water hazard by the 15th of the par four and then smash his putter as he waited for his playing partners to putt out.
He played the final three holes of his second round without a putter as there was none in his bag and he elected to use a three-wood.
The 25-year-old plucked for a wood over a sand wedge and finished three shots off the lead despite the unorthodox end to the round.
“I was lucky I only have like 3, 4, 5 feet, and then I just had -- the last few holes, I only had a birdie putt,” Kim said afterwards. “So no pressure to make it. Yeah, I think it’s just I got lucky there.”
“Just frustration,” Kim said of breaking his putter. “That’s not on purpose, but it was broken, yeah.”
This was the first time he had broken a club on course, Kim said, but pro golfer Chesson Hadley said he had seen the South Korean throw a club before.
“I’ve witnessed SWK hit it on the green for his 2nd shot on 15 at TPC Scottsdale and proceed to crow hop full tomahawk his club 60 yards into water,” Hadley wrote on Twitter.
In another tweet Hadley praised Kim: “I also really like SWK and enjoy playing with him. He’s obviously unreal talented and very entertaining. He will literally be talking to his caddy over his ball pulling the club back.”
Kim, the world No 49, is tied for sixth with Cameron Champ, Tony Finau, Hideki Matsuyama, Bernd Wiesberger and Justin Thomas on 4-under.
Leader Justin Rose is on 7-under with Will Zalaoris and Brian Harman a shot back. Marc Leishman and Jordan Speith are on 5-under.
Kim did not say whether he has a spare putter with him in Augusta.
