A teenage Brit who idolises is hoping to emulate the Northern Irishman by winning major tournaments over the coming years. Kris Kim, who was born in 2007, hails from Surrey and appears to have a bright future at the highest level of the game. He is already being touted as the next big thing by many of those who have seen him play.
Kim was just six years old when McIlroy won his fourth major title at the PGA Championship in 2014. Since then, he has emerged as a future star with many backing him to excel in the senior ranks. Professional golf is in his blood, with both of his parents enjoying careers in the sport.
His mother, Ji Hyun Suh, played on the LPGA Tour in the 1990s and has been coaching Kim since he first picked up a golf club. His father, Yong Ki Kim, once played on the Fiji Tour.
It makes sense that Kim was born with a natural talent for golf, with the 17-year-old having the potential to outshine his parents in future. He has dominated proceedings in every age group and won the prestigious Boys Amateur Championship in 2023.
Kim went unbeaten in the Junior Ryder Cup a month later, earning himself a shot in the big leagues. Last year, he became the youngest European player to make a cut in a PGA Tour event at the CJ Cup in Texas.
The youngster even outscored Jordan Speith as he excelled under the pressure of the spotlight, appearing in the featured groups TV coverage.
Over the next few years, Kim is determined to live up to the hype while continuing his studies in higher education.
"I'm doing Sport and Business," he told . "It will be nice to do normal stuff and then, when I'm out here, I get to love it and be happy I'm out here. I'm going to play DP World Tour Q School the next couple years and see how that goes.
"Me and my mum, we said if you can get the experience early, you may as well battle it out. It's a whole other thing doing it week-to-week and the stamina you've got to have on the PGA Tour. Then the rankings you need to stay afloat."
Asked what he hopes to achieve in golf, Kim replied: "To be world No.1 in the rankings. Winning the Masters, Open, US Open, PGA, any major would be unreal. I've not played Augusta yet. I wish!"
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