SportChevron Right IconGolf
Golfer makes ingenious change at Masters after destroying putter
Published: 10/04/2021 Updated: Saturday, 10 April 2021 11:33 AM GMT+10
Masters contender's wayward shot strikes his own dad
Si Woo Kim acknowledged that he has broken clubs out of frustration before, with one very significant caveat.
"Not on the course," Kim said.
He can't say that anymore.
The South Korean had to play the final four holes of his second round of the Masters without his putter.
Kim slammed his putter head-first into the turf at Augusta National after a poor chip on the par-5 15th hole, bending the shaft and rendering the club unusable.
He two-putted for par there with his 3-wood, then made three more routine two-putts to end his round.
Kim managed to card a three-under 69 on Friday, to be four under and just three shots back of leader Justin Rose.
The mood for Kim went south when he made a lip-out bogey on the par-4 14th, electing to use his putter from just off the green and failing to hole a five-foot par attempt, and then followed that up with an average chip shot at the next hole.
The South Korean had to play the final four holes of his second round of the Masters without his putter. Credit: Getty
"Just frustration, like 14, 15 chip," Kim said.
"That's not on purpose, but it was broken, yeah."
Kim used the wood again on the par-3 16th, narrowly missing a birdie opportunity and making another par.
He stayed with it the rest of the way, choosing it over a sand wedge - which some players, without a putter, may prefer.
He made the Masters cut for the fourth time in five appearances.
Kim wasn't the only player dealing with a little anger during the second round.
Si Woo Kim had to finish his second round at the Masters with his putter left in his bag. Credit: AP
Jordan Spieth hit what he thought was a good tee shot at the par-3 12th, only to see it hit the lip of a bunker and fall back into what he described as a rake print.
A bad putt followed, leading to Spieth's lone bogey of the day.
He tossed the ball into Rae's Creek after that hole.
"There's no fans there, a kid to throw it to or anything like that," Spieth said.
"There's no one there.
SportTiger Woods' post-crash confusion revealed
Sport'Couldn't be more excited': Aussie storms into Masters contention
"I don't want to look at that golf ball anymore, so it goes into the water and then I go to another ball."
Kim didn't have that luxury with the putter.
After a few questions following the round, he'd decided that was enough.
"I don't want to answer any more. Sorry," he said.