Michael Kim spoke to the media after a strong opening round at the 2025 BMW Championship, the second event of the FedExCup Playoffs. Kim shared that every part of his game felt solid—from driving to putting—as he aims for his first-ever TOUR Championship appearance.
He reflected on a mid-season back issue that temporarily slowed his momentum, but credits both improved health and ongoing support from coach Sean Foley for helping him regain form. Foley, described by Kim as a full-on life coach, continues to play a crucial role in both his swing and mindset.
Kim emphasized his focus heading into the week with a mindset of being “grateful but not satisfied.” Watch the full press conference to hear how he’s preparing for the next rounds and his thoughts on navigating the tough Olympia Fields layout.
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Yeah, Michael, what did you feel like was worked best for you today? Um, felt like, you know, every part of my game was pretty solid. Um, only missed like one or two drives off the tea. Um, and um, hit some wedges, close, putted it nice, chipped it pretty nice. So, felt like um, everything was uh, pretty good today. Just in the last couple months, hasn’t maybe been the like high results that you had at the start of the year. Specific parts of the game that you’ve kind of struggled with? Um, you know, I I had like a small back tweak at Truis and that kind of went on for about a month. So, um, just trying to get the the swing and really the entire game kind of back to where it was. Um, you know, from waste management on, feel like I’m in a in a good spot with my swing and everything. So, um, hopefully it leads to good golf the next three days, too. Good health at this point, too. Yeah. Yeah. I feel feel much better. And just with the season you’ve had getting to the tour championship, especially kind of this resurgence that you’re on, what would that just mean just in the arc of your career to kind of get back to that? Yeah, I mean, um, tour championship I feel like is is the number one goal in everyone’s mind at the start of the year. Um, along with top 50 here. So, um, you know, to be completely honest, I was probably, if you told me I’d be at top 50, I’d just sign right there and and just, uh, watch everyone else play. But, you know, once I had a really, really good stretch in that in that beginning to the middle part of the season. Um, really wanted to make the push for the tour championship, which I’ve never been to. So, um, yeah, um, looking hopefully making that final push. What was the pep talk like from Sean Foley this week? Um, it’s a lot of the same. He gives me a pep talk pep talk every week. Uh, but uh I was his only guy out here uh the last couple weeks. So, it’s been uh good to get the full attention and uh full Sean Foley uh experience uh last couple weeks. And and how has he helped you get to this point? It’s uh as much as uh he’s helped me on the swing, he’s helped me, you know, mentally, um life, everything. Uh he’s been he’s been a fullon life coach for me. It’s been uh it’s been awesome. Now, you said you signed up for top 50. Was there any feeling of playing with house money coming into this week or was there kind of added pressure to keep that keep that run going? Yeah. Um you know, one of Sean’s taglines, you know, I think was um grateful but not satisfied. It’s kind of the kind of the approach I’m taking taking it this week. Do you think anyone will or you in particular, do you think you’ll try to drive five or push it up there? You saw you laid back today just um could there be a a thing where you try to go for that? If anything, I thought maybe with the back right pin and they had the back right pin today. It was into the wind. Even if they moved it up, I don’t think I would have gone for it. The only spot you can miss it is in that front right bunker. um or the right bunkers, but uh it’s a pretty small target. Um I I don’t see myself going for it uh any other days. Michael, when did you and Sean connect and what was the trigger point for you? Um I think it was about four years ago, pretty close to um right now actually. Um I had he was helping um Ben on um I tagged along for dinner. um you know, we’re golf nerds. So, we start talking about golf and golf swing and um because of some of the guys he had worked with in the past, I thought the philosophy that he might have he had um wouldn’t match with with how I thought I should swing the golf club. And I realized um I had a misunderstanding of what he thought about the golf swing. So, after that dinner, decided to go see him. um about four years ago to this day. Pretty close. And uh it’s been great ever since. All right. Good. Thanks, Mark.
