Life on the PGA Tour isn’t easy, but goodness, it’s not often as hard as it was this weekend for Kim Swan.
Scrolling down to the bottom of this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship leaderboard, you’ll find a flurry of pros who missed this week’s cut at six under.
But there’s one score that sticks out from the rest, and it’s not John Daly’s near-last-place score of five over. A full 23 strokes further down the leaderboard, you’ll see the name of Kim Swan — sitting comfortably at 28 over after scores of 89 and 81 in the opening two rounds.
Swan, who was the oldest player in the field at 65, is a former DP World Tour pro. He was a teaching pro at Port Royal Golf Golf Course, this week’s host, until stepping down last year, according to the Royal Gazette. As such, the club offered him a sponsor’s exemption into the event to celebrate his retirement.
Pro shoots worst score in LIV’s short history, then improves by 24 strokes
“This special opportunity comes as I celebrate my 65th Birthday at Port Royal Golf Course, which I proudly serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees, as it enters its 53rd year of operation as a public golf course,” Swan told the Gazzette back in July.
Swan hit the honorary first tee shot at the 2019 Bermuda Championship, which was the first official PGA Tour event played on the island. Port Royal hosted the now-defunct PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 2009 to 2014 and nearby Mid Ocean Club hosted it the two years prior.
During his years as an instructor, he was known for giving free clinics to players of all ages.
“With this opportunity, I aim to turn back the clock for one last dance in honor of all those who helped along my life’s journey and lift up the Port Royal Golf Course for the great public golf course it remains today,” Swan said.
Swan missed the cut in his only other PGA Tour start, shooting 81-75 nearly 40 years ago at the 1983 USF&G Classic.
While the Bermudian, one of four in the field who all missed the cut, struggled in the opening round with four doubles and a nine on the par-4 12th, but Friday he made two birdies on his way to an eight-stroke improvement.