The Open: Kim second despite ankle tear | Rahm: Nothing we could have done to stop Brian Harman
A grade-one ankle tear could not prevent Tom Kim from securing his best finish in a major to date as he ended tied for second at Royal Liverpool; Jon Rahm and Jason Day both felt there was nothing more anyone could have done to overhaul eventual champion Brian Harman
Sunday 23 July 2023 19:21, UK
Tom Kim revealed how he rode on adrenaline to battle through the pain barrier and secure a tied-for-second finish at this year's Open Championship.
The South Korean golfer suffered a grade-one ankle tear after slipping on the patio at the residence he was staying at for the tournament after the first round on Thursday which nearly led to him withdrawing.
But despite that, Kim shot a four-under-par final round of 67, including an eagle on the fifth hole and four birdies, to finish seven-under for the tournament and level with 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm, former PGA Championship winner Jason Day, and Sepp Straka.
- Harman cruises to dominant major glory at The Open
- McIlroy's major drought continues | 'I just keep looking forward'
- Stream the biggest moments on NOW | Get Sky Sports | Download Sky Sports App
"My team and my medical team have done a great job of protecting it and making sure it's not moving as much as possible," Kim said, reflecting on his stellar showing in spite of the injury which included shooting a pair of 68s on Friday and Saturday.
"Obviously coming down the stretch of a major when you're playing well the adrenaline kind of hits and makes sure you're kind of in it.
"It was kind of nice to almost forget about it a little bit, because when you're in the moment you don't really think about it. I think today was probably the best it's been out of the three days, so kind of relieved."
Kim's second place at The Open comes on the back of finishing tied for eighth at the US Open just over a month ago, having picked up his first two PGA Tour titles in 2022 with triumphs in the Wyndham Championship and Shriners Children's Open.
It was kind of nice to almost forget about it a little bit, because when you're in the moment you don't really think about it.
The 21-year-old has yet to lift a trophy this season, but believes his results in the final two majors of the year are a sign the work he is putting in is taking him back towards winning another tournament soon.
"It's been tough at times this year, but I can't say it's really tough, because for me, I feel like our team has a lot of expectations and we're trying to play the best that I can, very fortunately," Kim said.
"I really have to kind of put it into perspective and keep working hard to keep playing better. I put a lot of work in this year trying to get back to that feeling of kind of contending in big events and it's kind of nice to see the fruits coming to life.
"I was thinking about pulling out my second round and the third round, but I'm kind of glad I didn't."
Rahm: Nothing we could have done to stop Harman
Rahm believes there was nothing more any of the four players tied for second could have done to stop Brian Harman from claiming victory at The Open.
The American finished six shots clear of the quartet after a final round of 70 saw Harman end on 13-under-par for the tournament.
Rahm, who had vaulted himself back into contention with a stunning third-round 63 on Saturday, was left to rue missed putts earlier in the tournament, but ultimately felt Harman was just to strong for anyone to get near him.
"He won by six - it's not like he won by two or three," Rahm said. "He won by six, so there's nothing really any of us could have done.
"The goal was to hopefully win an Open. That's done, so now focus on the [FedEx Cup] Playoffs. That's all I can say - good golf takes care of things."
That view was echoed by Day, the 35-year-old Australian who secured his highest finish at The Open thanks to a final round of 69 and his best finish in a major since tying for fourth at the PGA Championship three years ago.
"He had to come back to us essentially," Day said of Harman. "To shoot 10-under through two rounds, I don't know what kind of lead he had at that point, but it seemed like he had a pretty significant margin.
"What a feeling. Even to have this as a par putt, but he's got a six-shot lead for his first major championship is pretty awesome. I mean, that just caps off what he's accomplished here this week."
Straka coy on Ryder Cup hopes
Straka's second place at The Open has seemingly all but ensured he will be part of Europe's Ryder Cup team later this year, but the Austrian is not resting on his laurels just yet.
Straka shot a final round of 69 to seal his spot as part of a four-player group which finished six shots off champion Harman and had been in the running for outright second until a bogey on the 18th.
It marked the 30-year-old's highest finish in a major to date, bettering his previous best of tied for seventh at this year's PGA Championship, and while Straka feels he is playing well he does not believe anything is for certain yet.
"I don't know about that, but I feel like my game is in a good place," Straka, who spoke to Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald at Royal Liverpool this week, said.
"I've got a couple more months of tournaments to take advantage of the good play, and hopefully I can do that.
"It would be huge [to play at the Ryder Cup] - It would be amazing. It's been a huge goal. Over the last year-and-a-half really it's been on my radar, and I'm really looking forward to having a chance."
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
