Whatever magic is hiding on the par-4 fourth hole at Hurstbourne Country Club, Chan Kim has clearly found it.
For the second straight day, the 35-year-old fired off an eagle at the fourth — this time chipping in from 36 yards. He finished the day with a 2-under 68 that extended his lead to five strokes heading into the weekend at the ISCO Championship.
That’s back-to-back eagles on the same hole, following Thursday’s outrageous hole-out from 123 yards that helped Kim post an opening-round 61.
“Obviously, the hole-out on four again,” Kim said with a grin. “I don’t know what the odds are of doing that, but boy, if I could make four twos on that hole, I’d be very happy.”
Kim Staying Calm, Staying Ahead
Kim is now 11 under for the tournament, five clear of Kris Ventura (64), Vince Whaley (67), and Thomas Rosenmueller (69), all tied at 6 under.
The round wasn’t spotless — Kim bogeyed three holes (11, 16, and 1) — but he bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 7th and a 35-foot chip-in birdie on the par-4 8th.
“This is a course where you just have to stay patient,” said Kim, an eight-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour still seeking his first PGA TOUR win. “I know I shot 9 under yesterday, but the course is not playing that easy.”
He added: “Just keep my foot down. I know that these guys are so good, somebody’s going to catch up. I already know that. The best I can do is handle myself the way I did when I won all those events — stay patient and play my game.”
What’s at Stake?
The ISCO Championship, part of the PGA TOUR’s Additional Events slate and co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, offers a two-year exemption and a PGA Championship invite in 2026 for the winner.
With no one in the field heading to The Open Championship next week, this weekend offers a rare chance for someone to grab a life-changing victory.
Leaderboard Notes
- David Skinns shot a 64 to move to 5 under, tied with Rico Hoey, Zac Blair, Kevin Kisner, Nick Hardy, Callum Tarren, Paul Peterson, and Beau Hossler.
- Auburn junior Jackson Koivun, who tied for 11th at the John Deere Classic, fired a 66 and is now 1 under.
- J.B. Holmes, playing on a sponsor exemption, missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 72.
Can Kim Close It Out?
Kim’s lead is comfortable, but as he knows from years of grinding on the Japan Golf Tour, nothing is safe until Sunday afternoon. Still, with a red-hot short game and ownership rights to the fourth hole, he’s clearly in control heading into the weekend.
“I think it’s very important to accept that when you do make a mistake,” Kim said. “Just accept it, go out there with full confidence, and plan your next shot.” So far, he’s done exactly that — and if he keeps it up, the wait for PGA TOUR win No. 1 might be just 36 holes away.
