Sometimes, the right guidance can help you achieve wonders. That is true in all kinds of activities, even more so in sports. The coach is a revered position in a player’s career, and there are many examples of the right coach allowing for the right kind of growth and development in the game. Michael Kim has had that. The previously no.1 ranked amateur has experienced a very topsy-turvy career in the professional golf setup.

Coming into the field with high expectations, Kim started decently, winning a PGA Tour trophy at the 2018 John Deere Classic. But then came the low point of his career, where his game got the better of him. During three years from 2019 to 2021, Michael Kim made the cut at 10 events out of 66 PGA Tour appearances. He missed the cut for a total of 49 competitions. But there was light at the end of the tunnel!

Michael Kim’s transformation under new guidance

With such a complex time on the course, Michael Kim turned to a few expert coaches whom he believed could help him work on his game. First was Sean Foley, who previously worked with Tiger Woods and Lydia Ko. Foley spoke about his time with Michael Kim and the process he went through with the golfer. Speaking to Dan Rapaport on his podcast Dan on Golf, Foley stated, Michael is a class act, a great human being, and I knew that whatever made him the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world was still inside him.”

Michael Kim’s drive was not in a good place. So, Foley got to work. “I just had him sit on the range and literally hit massive hooks—snap hook after snap hook after snap hook,” Foley added. This repetition can influence muscle memory, something Foley wanted to happen. The drive was in control. All those moments, where the tee shot strayed wide and out of bounds, seemed to be a thing of the past.

Kim also worked on other aspects of the game. Joseph Mayo, who previously coached Viktor Hovland, also spent some time with Michael Kim in a bid to improve the American golfer’s chipping. Kim mentioned the lesson’s influence during the Cognizant Classic, stating, “I’ve been chipping well since that lesson with Joe. While I hope not to rely on it as much tomorrow, I’m confident that if I need to, it will show up.”

The lesson seemed to have paid great dividends as the American golfer is currently ranked 22nd in the field on strokes gained around the green. That is reflected on the score sheet, with Michael Kim enjoying the form of his life this season.

Michael Kim’s 2025 PGA Tour season

Michael Kim has already earned more in 7 starts in the 2025 PGA Tour season than he has earned in totality during the 2024 season, despite playing 23 more events. He started the season in a rough manner, failing to make the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but since then, he has charted four top-15 finishes in 6 events.

His high point this season was at Arizona, where he finished T2 behind Belgian golfer Thomas Detry. He also finished T13 at the Genesis Invitational and the Mexico Open. The University of California, Berkeley alum finished an impressive T6 at the Cognizant Classic and is currently T5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after three rounds of play.

It is safe to say that whatever he has done with the coaches has proved to be a game changer for Michael Kim. Do you think the golfer will win his second PGA Tour title this year, courtesy of the work he put in with the help of the coaches?