Finally, with an hour to go in Sunday’s final round, Ghim’s fiancée, Kelly, finally had enough and told him he could turn on the coverage.
“In the end, everything worked out the way we needed it to, and I remember it was quite a jubilant hour,” said Ghim, who kept his card in two spots. Ghim paused for a moment and reflected on how he now finds himself in a similar position – projected at No. 115 through three rounds of this week’s fall finals at Sea Island.
“If we could somehow get through tomorrow,” Ghim continued, “I think it would be the same feeling.”
In previous years, Ghim, 29, would comfortably retain full status. But only the top 100 players in points after this week are fully exempt for 2026, so Ghim still has work to do. There is comfort now that numbers 101-110 will probably get about 20 starts as conditional members, and numbers 111-125 will also get plenty of opportunities. After opening the RSM in 60, Ghim reverted to the T-13. He needs at least a solo fourth to crack the top 100.
Wherever he lands on Sunday evening, Ghim is happy – even if it means moving down a level.
“I have friends who are still trying to make it, who are playing on different continents, clamoring for whatever they can get, and that I am so negative about [losing my card]it’s such a silly thing,” Ghim said, before adding, “If I want to be as good as I want to be and as good as I think I am, I can handle going back to the Korn Ferry Tour.”
Not that Ghim isn’t trying to win this tournament. He admits he probably tried too hard this season, having failed to achieve a top-10 finish and being frustrated on the greens again. After never finishing better than 150th in strokes gained, Ghim improved to No. 135 in that category last season, only to fall to No. 176 upon entering the RSM.
Ghim’s memory bank of made putts isn’t as plentiful as most of his peers, but there’s no shortage of it either. Ghim’s defining moment with the flatstick came in the final round of the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Championship. That week remains the most nerve-wracking week of Ghim’s young career. Less than a year removed from having a distinguished amateur career at the University of Texas, he was competing in the finals at Victoria National in Newburgh, Indiana, just four spots shy of his first PGA Tour card.
It all came down to a 10-foot par putt on his final hole, and he was so uncomfortable that his caddy, who had cleared Ghim’s ball, had to shout Ghim’s name several times to get his attention. “You need this,” the caddy told Ghim as he handed the ball back.
Ghim then promptly rolled into the curler and delivered a powerful, top-cut fist pump. Video of that moment still circulates within Ghim’s inner circle. His coaches, instructor Boyd Summerhays and sports psychologist Bhrett McCabe, often use it as inspiration when Ghim needs a boost. If Ghim can make that putt, they tell him, he can do anything.
“If it all hits the fan, I know I can make that putt if I need to,” Ghim said. “I did it, there’s video evidence. I just have to remember that… Yeah, it’s nice to have that under my belt.
“If I have a putt like that tomorrow, I would consider that a success considering the predicament I’m in.”
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