DOW CHAMPIONSHIP

June 28, 2024

Grace Kim

Auston Kim

Midland Country Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Here with Team 2K after the second round of the Dow Championship. Exciting day for you both. Really moved up the leaderboard, tied for first right now. Just talk a little bit about how it went out there today, both of you bouncing off each other a little bit.

AUSTON KIM: Well, it was definitely a better start than yesterday. We did trip up on the par-3. I forgot what number it was. I mean, we got off to a fast start. Grace made some great putts very early. We were both super aggressive today and were able to riff off one another. We just got a lot of really good momentum going very fast.

GRACE KIM: Yeah, I think we both knew our own games pretty well. Like we didn't really talk that much about strategy, either. I think we both just like knew what to do. We didn't need to just chat about it.

We played our own game, and whenever she made par, I made birdie. Whenever I made par, she made birdie. Great teamwork.

Q. Talk a little bit about the hole-in-one; what was the experience like, the shot? Talk about that a little bit.

GRACE KIM: Yeah, so I can't remember the yardage, but I hit a three-quarter 7-iron. Wind was off the left, so I was like, 8 is not going to get there. Was obviously just trying to put it close. All I see is it kind of disappear. I've had a lot of close shades, and this is actually my first one. So very exciting.

Yeah, everyone was just really happy for me, so it was very nice to share that moment.

AUSTON KIM: I hit it to 20 feet on the hole, and I was like, Grace is going to hit a good shot. I wasn't worried at all. I ended up going first on that hole. She was going first all day, but I hit first and we were on the green safely, and right when it came off the face, I knew that it was good.

GRACE KIM: Righto.

AUSTON KIM: Right when it came off the face it sounded so solid, and it took one really good bounce and crept in. So happy for you because I know what it's like -- getting that was very cool to watch, and so happy for her to finally get her first hole-in-one.

Q. Talk about how that maybe spurred you guys, too. You had a lot of birdies coming in from that point, too. How did that energize you for the rest of the -- at all?

GRACE KIM: We just kept going. Obviously we knew we were playing good golf before the hole-in-one, as well. We just kept that momentum going. She birdied the next, and then we both made par on the next after that, and then just we knew we had nine holes to go, and then a lot of opportunities. So we just kept going.

AUSTON KIM: Yeah, a lot of good come from that hole, courtesy of Grace. It felt really positive going forward from there.

Q. Auston, you were asked these questions before about Grace. With this hole-in-one there will be a donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. I don't know if you knew that. So what does that mean to hear that and that your hole-in-one is making a difference in that way?

GRACE KIM: I thought it was nothing because there wasn't a car, there wasn't any cash on the line, but to hear that I'm donating it to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, that really warms my heart. Always like helping out people in need, as well. Yeah, very heartwarming.