Kim up 5 on Burgoon in John Deere Classic

Writing from Silvis, Illinois

Friday, July 14, 2018

Birthday boy Michael Kim, the leader of the 48th John Deere Classic through 54 holes, said Friday he doesn’t mind delays. He’s loving this stop-and-start weekend so far. Some 3.1 inches of rain at the course has not only given him extra chances to warm up on the range, but has made the greens softer than usual. Think lawn darts.

He did, making birdies on five of his last six holes – including the last four, played after the final delay of the day – on his 25th birthday to race to a five-stroke lead over Brunson Burgoon going into the final round. Only a handful of the gallery of perhaps 12,500 remained when the last four birdies fell, but they were big.

Kim fired his second straight 7-under 64 to go with an opening 63 and stands at 22-under 191 entering Sunday’s finale at TPC Deere Run. Burgoon’s 5-under 66 for 17-under 199 seemed almost shabby by comparison, but it got him to solo second in front of Matt Jones (66 for 16-under 200), Harold Varner III (66 for 15-under 201) and Andres Romero and Sam Ryder (14-under 202).

Such an advantage might make some players nervous, but Kim seems cool about it all.

“Try and stay aggressive, stick to the game plan,” Kim said. “It’s been working so far. I’ve got a decent-sized lead but a lot can happen in 18 holes.”

There have been 21 first-time PGA Tour winners in the first 47 playings of the Deere, and Kim’s in a prime spot to become No. 22.

Of those close behind, Romero, the Argentine who stands nine back after a 7-under 64, may have the most motivation to win beyond the thrill of it all. In 2007, Romero shot a final-round 67 in the British Open at Carnoustie and missed the Padraig Harrington-Sergio Garcia playoff by a stroke – with a double-bogey, bogey finish, blowing a two-stroke lead after 70 holes despite a 10-birdie day.

“I always have the dream of going back to Carnoustie,” Romero said. “It’s going to be a little bit of pressure, but I think I’m going to handle it.”

He’d have to climb past Burgoon, Jones and Varner before he got to Kim, and there’s no reason to think Kim, whose new mental putting mantra has seen him make 25 birdies and sink a football field worth of putts (371 feet 6 inches) so far this week – including a curling 10-footer at the last for his final birdie of eight in the round – is going to back up. The others may feel like Sisyphus by the end of the tournament.

“Obviously Michael is playing pretty well, but I’m playing pretty good myself,” Burgoon said.

Kim had been average on the PGA Tour before this week, playing 254 rounds before Thursday’s career low 63. To follow that with a pair of 64s is difficult for a veteran pro, much less someone seeking his first victory on the big circuit.

“I’m just feeling more confident over my tee shots, which have been a problem for me the last couple of years,” Kim said. “Any time I feel comfortable over my tee shots I’m pretty stress-free and can have a good time out there.”

Plus there’s the putting adjustment in his head, which he hasn’t explained completely but is clearly the difference this week. He needed 27 putts in the first and third rounds and 26 in the second. That works.

Burgoon, who collected his third eagle of the week with a 3 on the par-5 second hole, finished with three straight birdies on the softened course to get to 17-under, even though he was exhausted. He had to finish his second round at 8 a.m., playing three holes before his third round tee time was delayed by the first of two thunderstorm breaks.

“I was up at 5 o’clock, Starbucks at 5:15, and off we went,” Burgoon said after finishing at about 8:20 p.m. “Glad to be done and ready to get some sleep.”

That’s a good idea for everyone.

Duncan shines

Here’s how hard it is to move through the pack at the John Deere Classic: rookie Tyler Duncan scored 8-under 63 on Saturday and moved from a tie for 46th to a tied for 13th.

“I made a few putts to get me started, and there we were,” Duncan said. “I played awesome today.”

With six birdies in his first eight holes – and a 30 on his first nine holes, Deere Run’s back nine – he was playing so well he had time to think about firing a 59.

“I knew there were a lot of chances left,” Duncan said. “I hit a couple good shots, but it played a little tough coming in.”

He finished with a bogey on the par-4 ninth, missing out of the week’s third 62.

Second Round Wrapup

Michael Kim left TPC Deere Run Friday night with a four-stroke lead on the field, but failed to save par on the 18th hole Saturday morning, missing a 7-foot putt, and took a three-stroke advantage into the third round.

Still, his 63-64–127 start matched the second-best first 36 holes in John Deere Classic annals, equaling Paul Goydos’ 15-under start in 2010 and Tim Clark’s four years ago.

Conversely, Bronson Burgoon birdied the first of the three holes he needed to play to wrap up his second round, posting a 9-under 62 for 12-under 130, making it a four-way tie for second with David Hearn, Steve Wheatcroft and Johnson Wagner. Burgoon went crazy on Friday, two eagles on his scorecard, and finished with five birdies as well in his bogey-free round.

Nick Hardy made the cut on the number – 3-under 139 – and moved on to the weekend, but NCAA champion Broc Everett went the other way, making bogeys on the 16th and 18th to fall out of the weekend with a 141 finish.

The logjam of 82 players making the cut forced the PGA Tour to institute a second cut after the third round to the low 70 players and ties. Those who don’t play the final round still make last-place money.

The field averaged 69.841 strokes in the second round, compared to the record Round 2 low of 69.061 set at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley in 1999.

Around Deere Run

Recent Illinois graduate Dylan Meyer scored 1-over 72 on Saturday and wasn’t happy about it. “Didn’t hit it very well,” Meyer groused. “Just kind of struggled to get it around. Didn’t make any putts. Just unfortunate I had to do it today on a very soft and gettable day.” Asked if he planned any changes, Meyer said, “I’ve got to find something or else I’m going to get run over.” He’s tied for 55th at 5-under 208. ... 

Saturday’s field average was 68.988 strokes, bringing the week’s average to 69.584 strokes. ... The four weather delays totaling 4 hours 44 minutes across two days – and there could have been a fifth, given the thunder heard at 4:15 p.m. when a storm cell rumbled by – built on a great tradition of starting and stopping in the Deere. The culmination was in 2003, when a complete rainout of the third round forced a 36-hole finish on Sunday, and more delays pushed the final 13 holes to Monday. It didn’t bother winner Vijay Singh. ... The 2009 Deere also finished with a 36-hole finale, but Steve Stricker had the trophy in his hands on Sunday night.

– Tim Cronin