PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The Genesis Invitational is sponsored by luxury automotive brand Genesis and there are cars strategically parked around the property.
There’s one out front of the Riviera Country Club. There’s another on the tee box at the famous 10th hole.
On Thursday during the first round, Tae Hoon Kim aced the 16th hole, which means he’ll be taking home one of those vehicles. A Genesis G-80 to be exact. Believe it or not, it’s the third time he’s won a Genesis vehicle for something he did on the golf course.
Playing 168 yards, Kim used his seven iron on Thursday to earn himself a new set of wheels. It’s the first ace of the tournament this year. It got Kim to 4 under through seven holes. He started on the back nine and birdied the 10th and eagled the 11th to start his day.
Genesis Invitational: Leaderboard | Photos
Not a bad prize for someone in the field on a sponsor exemption but Kim didn’t seem all that excited. Maybe he didn’t realize he just won a car.
Or maybe it’s just a case of been-there-done-that. Last October, Kim won the Genesis Championship on the KPGA Tour at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, which earned him a brand new GV80. A month later, he won another Genesis vehicle for claiming the season-long points race on the KPGA.