“It’s very cool for me” – Tom Kim starts 2023 by signing a head-to-toe apparel and shoe deal with Nike Golf
South Korean golfer Tom Kim is undoubtedly the biggest breakout star of 2022. The young golfer is only the second player after Tiger Woods to win two PGA tournaments before the age of 21. In the 2022 Presidents Cup, Kim eclipsed renowned players to emerge as the next big thing in golf.
After a tremendously well-performed 2022 season, Tom Kim is beginning his 2023 with another good news. He has recently signed a new endorsement deal with Nike. It is a head-to-toe apparel and shoe deal.
He showed off his new apparel of the swoosh on his cap, shirt and shoes when arrived in Kapalua. This was a part of the sponsorship deal.
He spoke about this new beginning as reported by The Washington Post.
"It’s very cool for me. Nike is definitely a brand where they only look at top players and I’m very, very grateful they thought about me. I think it’s a great move. It looks cool and I’m glad to be part of the swoosh team."
Previously, Tom Kim was sponsored by South Korea-based conglomerate CJ Corp. This is the same company that is the title sponsor for the CJ Cup. The title of the corporation is seen in the caps of several South Korean players such as Sungjae Im, K.H. Lee and Si Woo Kim.
Currently, Tom Kim is the only Asian golfer on the Nike team. Born in South Korea he and his family have moved around to Australia and then the Philippines.
The golfer, who is fluent in English and Korean and also a little Tagalog, is proud to represent his heritage on TV. This new deal with Nike shows Kim's global appeal as a young rising star.
He said:
"I wanted people to see on TV that I am Korean, but I’m also not just an Asian. I’m the only Asian golfer on the Nike team."
It is also interesting to note that K.J. Choi, a pioneering golfer in South Korea, was also associated with Nike during his peak years.
Tom Kim signed this new deal in the short off-season that he got. The shorter length of the offseason meant time was of the utmost essence for Kim. So, the minimal sponsorship helped him.
"The time was a big thing, and having a clean look and being with a global brand was a big thing for me."
"I can't wait to have this week started" - Tom Kim excited to perform in Kapalua
The 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions is all set to take place at the Kapalua Plantation Golf course in Maui, Hawaii from January 5 - 8. It is the first of the 17 tournaments on the PGA Tour that received an increase in the purse and commitments from top players.
Kapalua will offer a brilliant line-up of golfers including Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa amongst others.
However, they will all face some bitter competition from South Korean star Tom Kim. He has proven his prowess on the greens in 2022 and will be aiming for bigger titles in 2023.
According to Phil Star, Tom Kim is all excited to kickstart the week.
"It's a great place to start, obviously, in Maui. It's my first time in Hawaii. The course looks in great shape. You've got amazing sights here. So to be in a field where not many people can get in, it's awesome to be here and I can't wait to have this week started."
While Tom Kim is more comfortable in the PGA tournaments now, he is focussing on improving every day.
"I think now, I feel a little bit more comfortable than I did before on the PGA Tour. Obviously, winning big events is great, but like I just got to keep that same mindset as I've had my whole life and just kind of keep getting better every day."
Kim's primary aim is to be mentally stronger, physically fitter and getting better in every aspect of the game.
"All those big events you win, it's just kind of ticking off the boxes, but the biggest thing for me is just to be mentally better and be physically stronger and just get better at every aspect of the game every day, I feel like the goals just kind of happen."
Kim has had a phenomenal performance backing him now he is working hard to have a better 2023.
"It's been a crazy 2022, and things happened so fast where I think this past off-season I was able to kind of reflect on what it was like, and it's amazing. I've had two wins and it's really got me to feel a little bit more like I got to work harder and hopefully 2023 will be a better year than 2022."
Certainly, it will be thrilling to see the young gun in action against some of the world's best golfers.