After almost carding a second ace, Si Woo Kim eyes a second Wyndham win

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Si Woo Kim took dead aim during the third round of the Wyndham Championship, and now he’s in position to win the event for the second time in four years.

Kim started the day in a four-way tie for the lead, but he broke free with an ace on the par-3 third after jarring an 8-iron from 161 yards.

He nearly repeated the feat a few holes later, as his 5-iron from 197 yards on No. 12 danced around the hole before settling just beyond it.

He ended up 14 inches away from joining Brian Harman (2015 Northern Trust) as players to have two aces in the same competitive round, and he leads by two shots after carding an 8-under 62.

“I just hit it (on No. 3) and then the ball goes just right at the pin,” Kim said. “I did not expect that ace, but some guys (were) yelling at me. I feel like just tap-in really close, and some TV guys told me that’s an ace, and I was so excited.”

Kim is best known for his win at The Players in 2017, but it was at Sedgefield that he nabbed his first Tour victory in 2016, a six-shot romp for the then- 21-year-old. And while he has struggled somewhat in recent months, his most recent top-10 finish came at – you guessed it – last year’s Wyndham, where he finished fifth.

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Now he’ll take a two-shot lead at 18 under par into the final round, looking to close out another victory on one of his favorite courses. The two players in closest pursuit, Doc Redman and Rob Oppenheim, are each looking to win for the first time.

“That year (2016) is like this year. Driving, every shot fairway, and then every shot close to pin, every putt, make the putt. I feel like pretty similar this year,” Kim said. “But that year I have no win before that, and that’s why (there was) more pressure. But this time I already win two times, so that’s the good experience for me. I can still feel pressure for tomorrow, but I can get this one.”