Mysterious markings on PGA Tour practice green pique pro’s attention

PGA Tour pro Michael Kim has been making a name for himself both on and off the course in recent months.

On the course, the 29-year-old has notched two top-10 finishes since March, including a solo-7th at the Wells Fargo Championship last week, putting him on track for his best season yet in terms of earnings.

Off the course, Kim has been gaining fans with his candid assessment of Tour life. On social media, he has weighed in on everything from how to fix slow play to what it’s like being paired with Jon Rahm.

On Monday, Kim raised eyebrows with a Twitter post that described “a mystery player or caddy” who had left AimPoint measurements on the practice green at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

“There has been a mystery player or caddy that has been writing 1% 2% 3% on the practice green for aimpoint…,” Kim wrote . “BUT they’re all OFF by about .5% which is a big deal if you’re trying to get a feel before a tournament round. Is it purposeful SABOTAGE??? #Controversy.”

If you’re unfamiliar with how the AimPoint green-reading method works, here is the gist: A player straddles the ball’s path to the hole as a means of reading the amount of break in a given putt. Once a player’s feet are in position, the player then estimates how much slope they feel on a scale of 1-5. The next step is to close one eye, and hold up the slope number of fingers on whatever side of the hole the break is on. Finally, you address your ball and aim your putt to the outside finger, i.e., the “AimPoint.”

If the markings on the practice green at the Byron Nelson are indeed inaccurate, they could theoretically confuse players or caddies who don’t do their own homework.

Given Kim’s use of capitalization and the hashtag on “controversy,” it’s unclear whether or not his post was in jest, but one thing’s for sure: If you’re playing the AT&T Byron Nelson this week, best to take your own AimPoint measurements!

All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team.
If you buy a linked product,
GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Short Game Gains Precision Putting Laser

$39.99

The Precision Putting Laser goes on top of your weapon (the putter) and shows you EXACTLY how to perfect your aim, so you can feel more confident pulling that trigger.

Buy Now

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.