As the year wraps up, many golfers are spending time with loved ones or gearing up for the upcoming season. Some athletes, however, are exploring new hobbies to take a break from the pressure of their sport. One such player is Michael Kim, who is making headlines for his unexpected switch from golf to gaming after a challenging season on the greens.

The 2024 season was quite a rollercoaster for Kim. Despite his hard work, he could not catch even one title under his name. The most recent disappointment came when he ranked T11 at the 2024 RSM Classic with a score of 12 under par. Apart from the RSM Classic also, his 2024 season captured a lot of missed cuts. Some of the prominent events where the PGA Tour pro missed cuts are the WM Phoenix Open, the Mexico Open at Vidanta, THE PLAYERS Championship, and even the John Deere Classic. 

Undoubtedly, this left both him and his fans feeling a little deflated. In search of a way to release the stress, Kim decided to opt for a different sport, or ‘digital sport’ as you may say. Interestingly, it was none other than the epic, “Marvel Rivals.” Now, before you start wondering, what Marvel Rivals is, let us spill the tea for you. Marvel Rivals is a digital collectible card game where you can jump into the exciting world of Marvel. In this game, you get to use some of your favorite Marvel characters and locations to compete against other players. 

Shockingly the winner of the 2018 John Deere Classic is not one of those fans of Marvel but he picked up that particular game because of his favourite gameplay streamer. As Kim explained in his X post, “I took a dive into Marvel Rivals because all my favorite streamers have been getting into it.” He then revealed how despite being new to the game, he’s enjoying it, which is surprising since he doesn’t typically like hero shooter-style games like Overwatch or Apex.

“I don’t understand most of it and I’m the Punisher or Rocket sitting in the back hitting 30% of my shots but 🤷🏻‍♂ gotta start somewhere 😂,” he continued confessing. The post might be hilarious but it’s also refreshing to see a professional athlete embrace vulnerability and self-depreciation like that. In the end, the PGA Tour professional added a fun note in the saying, “Random gaming tweet, will go back to regular golf content tomorrow haha.” Wait, did you think Kim was alone in his gaming ride? If so, think again!

Michael Kim is not the only PGA Tour pro into gaming

PGA Tour pro, Si Woo Kim also finds solace in gaming. While the four-time PGA Tour winner was preparing for another round in the FedExCup Playoffs, Si Woo revealed that he makes sure his gaming is with him all the time. He believes that playing video games helps relieve the stress that comes with long tournaments.

It’s fascinating how these athletes turn to digital worlds to find a little peace amid the demands of professional sports. As Si Woo said, “When you play like 30 weeks in a year, there is so much stress during tournaments. So I think that helps me like (relieve) stress off.” Kind of comforting to know that even seasoned pros have their ways of coping that are relatable, right? 

Well, while both the Kimz and pros prepare for their next season and find peace through their gaming journey, fans are excited to see how it comes out in the coming events.