Tom Kim in control again; fires impressive round at Travelers to celebrate 22nd birthday

Tom Kim is in complete control of his game in Connecticut.

He fired a 5-under 65 on Friday, one day after posting an 8-under 62 at the Travelers Championship—an event that marks his eighth straight start on the PGA Tour. He now leads Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele by two.

“I think the work I’ve been doing over the past few months has just been kind of like making sure that I feel confident out in the competition, not practice rounds, right?” Kim said.

“I think this stretch is making me sharper and more ready, and I think it’s time to show it.”

Kim has confidently waltzed around TPC River Highlands, making 13 birdies to zero bogies through 36 holes. Every aspect of his game is working for him, as Kim currently leads the field in total strokes gained.

Yet, despite Kim shooting the lowest round of the season on Thursday, he still spent 30 minutes on the range afterward.

“I know what I need to do, like what my tendencies are, so just need to make sure after the round I’m doing the right things to keep myself sharp,” Kim explained.

“It’s my eighth week, so swing-wise, just physically, things could get off pretty quickly, so just trying to be in just a sharp form and just doing the right things to kind of keep the momentum going.”

Kim, who turned 22 on Friday, kept the pedal to the medal but was not focused on his score.

“I’m playing really well, and I know what I’m doing on the golf course, so just really executing my game plan, that’s just how I’m doing it, and the score is the score,” Kim added.

“I’ve been playing really, really solid, and I’ve been saying that it’s not about this week, it’s about keep building these momentum blocks for the rest of the season.”

After the Travelers Championship—the final Signature Event of the season—the Open Championship will be the focus for every professional, including Kim. Then, the FedEx Cup Playoffs take center stage after the Olympics in August.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.