Cal Alum Michael Kim One Stroke Off the Lead at Cognizant Classic

Michael Kim held the lead twice on the back nine in the third round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches on Saturday.

But second-round leader Jake Knapp regained the top spot when he birdied the 18th hole to finish the day with a 68, giving him a score of minus-16 through 54 holes.

Kim, the 31-year-old Cal alum, is alone in second place at 15 under entering Sunday’s final round at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

A winner just once since first joining the PGA Tour in 2016 — he captured the 2018 John Deere Classic — Kim is playing some of the best golf of his career and is positioned to end the seven-year victory drought.

He tied for second at the Phoenix Open and shared 13th place at both the Genesis and Mexico Open in his three most recent tournaments, all in February.

Ranked just 147th at the end of 2024, Kim has climbed to a career-best 79th. He is 20th in the FedEx Cup standings, and ESPN this week ranked him as the 19th-best player on the tour through the first two months of the season.

This week Kim played 50 consecutive holes though the 14th on Saturday without a bogey. He shot 65 and 66 over the par-71 layout on Thursday and Friday and was two strokes back of Jake Knapp entering the third round.

With birdies on 3, 4, 10 and 14 on Saturday, Kim moved into sole possession of first place at minus-15.

Then he suffered his first bogey of the week on the 15th, dropping into a five-way tie for the lead with Knapp, Ben Griffin, Russell Henley and Doug Ghim.

Kim's tee shot on the 15th bounced high off the rocks, caromed to the right and was on its way to the water before settling in the muck. He could see most of the ball and removed his right shoe before hitting the ball out of the mud. It stopped on the green, about 25 feet from the pin.

Michael Kim with a solid one-shoe play from the mud. 👀

📺 NBC & Peacock | @The_Cognizant pic.twitter.com/Rv4R4n9JVo
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 1, 2025

He two-putted for bogey and felt good about things, considering the circumstances.

"I didn't get as wet as I thought," Kim said.

He made par on 16 and 17, then birdied the par-5 18th to finish the round at 67 and regain the lead at 15 under.

But Knapp — who shot a 12-under 69 in Thursday’s first round — also birdied the 18th, lifting him back into sole possession of the lead.

Griffin, Henley and Ghim all reside in third place at 14 under.