16-year-old Chris Kim "I have to study for the English exam after the competition"

Debut on PGA Tour at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Golf Player Mother Seo Ji-hyun as 'Mentor'
"Forget the Score, Focus on the Shot"

16-year-old high school amateur Chris Kim (England) is having his busiest week. Right after the PGA Tour The CJ Cup Byron Nelson (total prize money $9.5 million) tournament, he will return to England and take exams immediately.

Amateur Chris Kim is answering questions at the official press conference for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
[Photo by CJ Group]

At the official press conference held on the 1st (local time) at TPC Craig Ranch (par 71, 7,414 yards) in McKinney, Texas, USA, he said, "I have an English exam three days after the tournament ends," adding, "I have to study on the plane back." He is growing as a golfer following in the footsteps of his mother, Seo Ji-hyun, who was a professional golfer. He is a promising player who won prestigious amateur tournaments such as last year's R&A Boys Amateur Championship and the McGregor Trophy. He is sponsored by the Korean company CJ. His Korean name is Kim Dong-han.

Chris Kim said, "It has been a dream since I started playing golf, and I am really happy to participate in this tournament," expressing his determination, "I hope to complete the competition safely by the weekend." He continued, "I arrived in Texas last Sunday and toured the course the next day," showing confidence by saying, "My driving distance is about average, and my short game is quite accurate, so overall the course seems to suit me well."

Regarding how he started golf, he explained, "I think I first hit a golf ball when I was about five years old. Since my mother was active on the tour, I eventually fell in love with golf too." He revealed his training schedule, saying, "At school, classes usually run from 8 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m. I mainly play golf on weekends or days off from school, spending about eight hours on the golf course on weekends."

He named Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) as his favorite player. Chris Kim happily said, "I just met Jason Day (Australia), last year's winner of this tournament, and the CJ players have been very kind to me, so I am really happy." About his mother’s role, he expressed gratitude, saying, "My mother is my only swing coach and has always supported me well. Without her, I wouldn't be doing this well now."

Recently on the PGA Tour, 15-year-old Miles Russell (USA) set the youngest cut-making record on the Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour. There is a focus on Chris Kim in this tournament. He said, "Russell is a great player and a good friend. I hope to achieve similar results this week." When asked about his nerves for his PGA Tour debut, he explained his strategy: "I try not to get ahead of myself, focus on each shot, and forget about the score." He also introduced his golf philosophy, saying, "Golf is great because whether you hit a good shot or a bad shot, you always get to hit the next one. The reason I keep playing golf is that I can always try to hit a better shot next time."