One tiny swing tweak here or there might’ve totally flipped the script for Michael Kim. But it didn’t pan out that way. In his FedExCup debut, Kim came agonizingly close to making it to the final stretch of the playoffs at the 2025 TOUR Championship. He played smoothly up until Saturday’s even-par 70, but that wasn’t enough to grab one of the 30 spots for next week in Atlanta – he ended up at No. 31, thanks to a fellow pro’s last-minute birdie putt.

In a recent recap on X, Kim shed light on both these situations. First, talking about his Sunday performance, Kim wrote, “Man it’s difficult to describe the feeling of finishing 31. It’s not as painful as some of the moments I’ve had in my career when I’ve lost my card [2020-21 season] but it’s this dull disappointing knot in my heart.”

What made the outcome even tougher for Kim was the way it unfolded. A simple par from Viktor Hovland on the final hole of the BMW Championship would have left the two tied for ninth, securing Kim’s spot. Instead, Hovland rolled in a birdie, moving into a tie for seventh with Rickie Fowler and Ludvig Åberg. That single stroke pushed Kim down to 10th place at BMW — just enough to leave him stuck at the painful 31st spot in the FedEx Cup standings.

Still, Kim tried to handle the disappointment with humor, saying, “I used to like him [Hovland] too,” when a fan said, “Was sorry to hear that Viktor knocked you out – I really like him …” In another tweet, he said, “Viktor and I used to be friends…” This all seems sarcastic, as no doubt Hovland did play well, and being so close to making it into the top 30 must leave a bitter taste. Hovland ended up tied for seventh at the BMW Championship with 7-under par, securing his spot at this week’s TOUR Championship.

Nevertheless, Kim is still pretty proud of his 2025 season. And why wouldn’t he be? He has plenty of reasons. This season, he has played amazingly. In 26 tournaments, he scored four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the WM Phoenix Open. What’s even better is that this highlights a big jump from 2024, when he got just two top 10s in 30 starts.

Kim acknowledged that much, saying, “Tour championship would have been really nice but I know I have lots to build upon this season and keeps me hungry for next year,” and “I’m still going to play a decent bit in the fall, likely overseas so I’m very excited about that.” And as shocking as Kim’s playoff exit is, he’s not the only big name bowing out of the 2025 TOUR Championship. Disappointment’s weighing heavily elsewhere, too.

Rickie Fowler and another massive disappointment at the BMW Championship

During the BMW Championship, Rickie Fowler hovered around No. 32 in FedEx Cup playoff standings – just shy of the cutoff for the Tour Championship. “Did what I needed to do today,” Fowler said after carding a 3-under 67 for 6-under overall. And then added, “In a way, I’d much rather be on the outside looking in. I know what I need to go do, versus maybe being inside trying to protect type of thing.” Fowler kicked off the weekend in 48th, way outside the top 30, but a solid Sunday showing would’ve clinched his TOUR Championship spot.

He was on a roll toward making it with five holes left… until things fell apart. Fowler bogeyed No. 14 but still looked good at 9-under, inside the top 30 cutoff. Then he made a double-bogey on No. 15 despite hitting down the middle. Paring out, he finished 7-under. “It’s hard to look back on 15 and say I did a whole lot wrong. I hit one down the middle and thought I flagged an iron shot. Just went a long ways,” Fowler said. That ended his shot at the Tour Championship, leaving him No. 32.

Fowler had stormed into the BMW Championship after a strong FedEx St. Jude finish, jumping to 48th in playoff standings. He needed a big week to crack the top 30. He was cooking… until those final holes torpedoed his chances. Still, both Kim and Fowler are fan faves, so watching them miss their chances stings.