Si Woo Kim's Masters Meltdown: Pro Golfer Finishes Round Using 3-wood as Putter After Breaking Club
Si Woo Kim's memorable Masters moment occurred during the 2021 tournament when he had to putt with his 3-wood for four holes after breaking his putter on the 15th green during the second round.
Kim, who was tied for fifth at the time, had been playing bogey-free golf through 13 holes at four-under before bogeying the 14th. His frustration peaked at the 15th when he slammed and broke his putter after chipping his third shot just over the green's edge.
The incident stemmed from putting struggles that began during Thursday's opening round 71. "I wasn't putting it good," Kim explained on GOLF's Subpar podcast. "I missed like five feet, twice in a row. I was so pissed."
Remarkably, Kim managed to finish the round effectively using his 3-wood as a putter. He chose the fairway wood over a bladed wedge because he struggled with alignment when using the latter. "It's almost like an arm lock," Kim said. "It's like the length of an arm lock too, so if you lean it a little, it's actually pretty good."
Despite the unusual circumstances, Kim parred all four remaining holes, including the 15th, successfully two-putting with the 3-wood each time. He finished the second round with a 69 but ultimately ended the tournament T12 after weekend rounds of 74-72, marking his best career major finish.