Remember Tiger Woods’ cut shot at the 2019 WGC Mexico Championship? He made a high-risk, high-reward shot with a 9-iron on the par 4 9th hole to get the ball out of the fairway bunker. Similarly, there’s Robert Gamez’s winning shot at the 1990 Nestle Invitational and Gene Sarazen’s 1935 Masters double eagle on the par-5 15th hole. These are rare shots that seem impossible unless someone makes them. Playing at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Championship, Rory McIlroy also made an impossible shot. And it has made fellow golf pro Michael Kim laugh in disbelief.

DP World Tour posted about McIlroy’s shot on X. “Rory McIlroy has just driven the green at the 394-yard par four 10th 🤯,” the post read with a video of McIlroy’s shot. Reposting the same, Michael Kim said, “😂 didn’t realize that was even a possibility. I went 7wd, 60* for a birdie of my own at least.”

The shot is particularly noteworthy because McIlroy’s playing style and tactical approach usually avoid such risky plays. McIlroy does play risky shots, as well. However, he usually likes to keep it simple and weigh the reward before taking any risks. In fact, he even left his driver out of his bag at the DP World India Championship because it was not worth the risk for him.

“I don’t think I’ll hit a driver this week. I just don’t feel like the risk is worth the reward. I’d rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a 7-iron into a par-4 instead of hitting a wedge, where if you just get it off-line here, the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into jungle and you’re not going to be able to get it out. You can rack up a very big number very quickly,” the 2025 Masters champion said about leaving the driver in the locker room.

Rory McIlroy is the headline player at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, played at Yas Links. He is aiming for his first victory to get his hands on the Falcon Trophy. He has narrowly missed winning the event with multiple top finishes. This year, he leads the Race to Dubai and is chasing a seventh season-long title. However, Marco Penge poses a serious threat, as he is only 500 points behind McIlroy.

It is not the first time Michael Kim has commented about a fellow pro golfer. Kim has always been vocal about his thoughts. For instance, he recently shared a hilarious rivalry message to Viktor Hovland. Michael Kim and Viktor Hovland competed closely at the 2025 DP World India Championship. Kim finished tied 9th with 16 under par and missed out on a $120,000 prize opportunity that Hovland secured by finishing tied 6th with 17 under par.

Hovland had edged past Kim previously, too. At the 2025 BMW Championship, Hovland birdied the last hole to push Kim down in the standings. This prevented the 1x DP World Tour winner from qualifying for the Tour Championship. Kim took the near misses in stride with humor. He shared an X post writing, “Viktor HATES being tied with me. Always has to do one better 😂”

Because of such openness about his feelings, one would think that Michael Kim is an ideal candidate for joining the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council (PAC). However, he had a valid reason to decline it.

Top Stories

Tiger Woods’ Treatment of Caddies Set Him Apart from PGA Tour Rivals, Confesses Steve Williams

Rickie Fowler Comes Clean on Health Issue Stopping Him from Playing PGA Tour Events

Gary Players Issues Clear Statement After His Call to Abolish Ryder Cup Backfired

Phil Mickelson Is Unimpressed With LIV Golf Revamp as Jon Rahm Gives His Stamp of Approval

Three Common Grip Mistakes Killing Your Game

Michael Kim is not interested in joining the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council

Michael Kim is known for his honest opinions on PGA Tour policies. He has frequently shared his thoughts on X about changes such as field size reductions and qualification systems. Despite his vocal presence, he has no plans to join the PGA Tour’s PAC anytime soon. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Kim explained that joining the PAC would require a significant time commitment. Board members have to participate in many meetings and Zoom calls.

Since golf and Tour competition already keep him very busy, he prefers to focus on his career rather than take on an active role with the PAC. Kim expressed appreciation for the players who serve on the PAC and support their work. He also said that he intends to help them in any way possible. However, he prefers to contribute in other ways without a formal position.

Michael Kim’s perspective highlights the diversity of opinions influencing the future direction of the PGA Tour. He had always tried to encourage and wish fellow golfers and voice his concerns with a humorous angle.