BANGKOK: Sihwan Kim’s last two years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.
From the highs of his 2022 International Series Thailand victory and competing against some of the biggest names in the sport, to the lows of relegation from the star-studded LIV Golf League and a loss of confidence.
Kim had shown genuine early promise in 2022, when he won that inaugural event on The International Series at Black Mountain. He also claimed another victory on the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, clinched the Asian Tour Order of Merit, and recorded a fifth-place finish on LIV Golf in Bangkok.
Last season was a very different situation, however, and he suffered a real loss of confidence. In 12 starts, he only managed one finish above 40th spot. This was when he placed 33rd at LIV Golf Bedminster, and only carded one under-par total in the entire campaign, a two-under total at Tulsa.
There are encouraging signs that his game is trending upward again. A sensational nine-under-par round of 63 on the final day of the Black Mountain Championship took him up to a T9 finish in Hua Hin last weekend.
His performance at the Black Mountain Golf Club was more like the Kim of old, giving him a big confidence boost ahead of this week’s International Series Thailand, which takes place at Thai Country Club from Oct. 24 to 27.
As a former champion, Kim is hoping to rediscover that winning touch and ignite a run of form which could move him closer to a return to LIV Golf, the dream scenario which is offered to the champion of The International Series Rankings.
Kim, who moved up to 38th in The International Series Rankings, said: “I’m just trying to play my game. I was struggling last year, and low on confidence. I have seen some improvement this year but I still haven’t had many big finishes, and when I do make the cut I can’t seem to make that breakthrough.
“So I have been trying to grind on that, and hopefully in the future I’ll get another one. I just need to keep on playing and then try to find a swing that works at my age because I am getting that little bit older and you feel like you’re doing the same, but it’s not producing the same results. I’m trying to find something that works.”
Kim first joined the LIV Golf League in 2022 and guaranteed his spot in the 2023 season after finishing in the top 24. Since relegation at the end of last season, he has been battling to rediscover that form and win his way back onto the league. He finished in the drop zone at No. 50 in the standings at the end of the season.
A former US Junior Championship winner at just 15, Kim was a member of the Iron Heads GC team alongside Kevin Na, Danny Lee, and 2023 International Series Rankings champion Scott Vincent.
Week in and week out, he was competing with some of the biggest names in world golf, gaining invaluable experience.
Kim said: “It was great. I mean, without LIV Golf, I’d probably never play with guys like DJ (Dustin Johnston) and Brooks (Brooks Koepka) and Phil Mickelson and players like that.
“Just to get that experience with those guys you know, you look at it a little differently, and then see what you can work on to improve your game.
“Last year, I played with Phil Mickelson quite a bit, because he didn’t play that well. And then I was in the bottom of the pack as well and, you know just his attitude towards the game, he is just an incredible guy and got to play with Brooks and DJ as well and those guys are just on a different level.”
Reflecting on his 2022 victory on The International Series and the opportunities it opened up, Kim said: “It was definitely life changing (his win at International Series Thailand).
“Obviously, what happened after that I played on LIV Golf for two years, and just the amount of money I made out of that it changed my life and International Series Thailand was my first win, as a professional.
“For us to have The International Series all throughout the year, having 10 of them this year yeah it helps us a lot.”
There was one other confidence-building personal high that the American was proud to confirm: “It's been a busy year, I got married and I have been playing a lot so yeah it’s great.”
International Series Thailand continues a busy stretch on the global schedule. Four events in a short six-week spell then follow, culminating in the $5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers in Riyadh from Dec. 4 to 7.
