[PHOTO: Orlando Ramirez]
Arming a 21-year-old with a cheque for $US1.5 million in Las Vegas is a dangerous proposition. Good thing Tom Kim isn’t your typical 21-year-old.
Kim successfully defended his title at the Shriners Children’s Open yesterday for his third career PGA Tour title so it wasn’t the first time the young man has won in Vegas. But it’s the first time he’s won while being old enough to fully appreciate Sin City. At least, legally, by American laws.
But when asked about how he was going to celebrate, Kim revealed the only thing he was going to get after was a… chocolate bar? Yep, a chocolate bar. And an unfinished one at that. Have a listen:
How does a 21-year-old @JoohyungKim0621 celebrate his win in Las Vegas?
Chocolate 😂 pic.twitter.com/OinZYVhc5M
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 16, 2023
Talk about discipline! Here’s the full exchange:
Q. So the hard-hitting question of the day. Last year you won at 20, this year you win at 21 in Vegas. What’s the celebration going to be like?
TOM KIM: I was actually thinking about this last night. If I win – I knew I was going to get this question.
If I take the red-eye [flight] – but I’m not going to take the red-eye, so I’m going to go at 6:30 in the morning. I’m going to go back home. I’m going to finish a piece of chocolate that I wanted to finish, so I’m going to do that. Then I’m going to order room service and I’m going to go to bed, then I’m going to wake up at 3 and take my 6:30am flight.
I can’t wait to finish that chocolate. I’ve wanted to finish it so bad.
That chocolate must have tasted incredible, but that 3am wake-up call must have been rough. Although, again, most people in Vegas wouldn’t schedule a flight that early from Vegas. And if they did, they wouldn’t sleep before getting on the plane.
But that’s next-level planning from this rising star who continues to do historic stuff. And probably the smartest way to avoid getting into any trouble out there. As for the chocolate bar itself?
“I brought it from a trip from Europe,” Kim said with a smile. “It’s a Ferrero Rocher white chocolate. It’s great. Like I’ve saved it, and it’s going to taste so good tonight.”
Go crazy, kid. Go crazy.