No bogeys: Flawless week at Albertsons Boise Open punches Chan Kim’s ticket to PGA Tour

Chan Kim needed a bogey on the last hole to secure his second consecutive Korn Ferry Tour victory Sunday at the Albertsons Boise Open. It would have been his first bogey of the week.

Instead, Kim sank a downhill tester from 2 feet to complete a two-putt par, winning the tournament and earning an invitation to the PGA Tour on the heels of a flawless week.

Kim shot 28-under par for the tournament, two strokes better than David Kocher, who tied the Hillcrest Country Club tournament record with a final-round score of 59.

“I knew, for sure, somebody was going to go low today, so I knew I had to go low,” Kim told reporters following the victory. “I played solid all week, and honestly, if I had lost by two or three I wouldn’t have been shocked. As long as I play well, I’ve done all I can do.”

It’s the first time a Korn Ferry winner has had a bogey-free tournament, according to tournament officials. Kim said he knew that he only needed a bogey on the 18th hole to win the tournament when he misread his birdie putt and left himself the challenging putt for par.

“I was bogey-free for 71 holes, so I wanted to finish bogey-free,” Kim said. “I thought I read it right, but some of these greens are tricky to read.”

Kim earns first PGA Tour invitation

The 34th annual Boise Open was the first of four tournaments on a season-ending circuit that will decide which Korn Ferry Tour members move to the PGA Tour. Sunday’s win secured an invitation for Kim.

The 33-year-old American is an eight-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour. Kim previously played on the PGA Tour through sponsor exemptions but has never had full tour member status.

“It’s been a long journey,” he said. “The end goal is always to play on the PGA Tour. It’s going to be a grind, but I enjoy it, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Coming off a win last week at the Magnit Championship in New Jersey, Kim continued to notch low scores in Boise. Kim led Korn Ferry Tour points leader Ben Kohles by two strokes heading into the final round.

Kohles, 33, who has already earned a PGA Tour invitation, finished tied for fourth, with a 21-under score. He shot 2-under on Sunday playing alongside Kim.

Kim capitalized on back-to-back par-5s early in Sunday’s round. His second-hole approach shot finished in the rough, but he landed a high, soft chip close for an easy birdie finish.

On the third hole, Kim sent his second shot well over 200 yards and landed it softly just over a bunker that protected a tucked pin. He confidently sank an 8-foot putt for eagle, one of many successful mid-range putts that kept bogeys off Kim’s scorecard.

Kim later scored a birdie on the ninth hole, with a 10-yard chip-in from just off the green, followed by three birdies on the back nine.

Throughout the round, Kim and the other golfers in the field dealt with noise overhead from the nearby Gowen Thunder Airshow. Roaring planes maneuvered just over the golf course and forced Kim to back off multiple shots.

“But it was so cool,” Kim said of the planes. “Kudos to them because I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Runner-up ties tournament record

Kim had a comfortable lead Sunday until Kocher, who started the final round in 13th, began racking up birdies. The 27-year-old American scored 10 birdies and an eagle on the par-five 16th hole to finish 26-under for the tournament.

It’s the second time a tournament golfer has shot a 59 at the par-71 Hillcrest Country Club. The first was Russell Knox during the 2013 Albertsons Boise Open.

Kim said he heard the spectators cheer in appreciation of Kocher’s eagle on the 16th, one of three greens surrounded by grandstands. That’s when he started more closely watching the leaderboard.

“To shoot 59 in the final round is just unbelievable golf,” said Kim, who shot 64. “He gave me a run for my money, and I just had to keep my head down and really get after it.”