Merced’s Kim finds his way to Golfer of the Year

Peter Kim’s journey to his first Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championship appearance this season was a long one, filled with bunkers, water and other hazards.

It also included stops at two other high schools before settling in at Merced High for his senior year.

After a year off from high school golf, Kim returned to the form that earned him a co-Central California Conference Most Valuable Player his sophomore season at Golden Valley. The Merced senior recorded low rounds of 69 and 70 this year. He shot the low round at the CCC mid-season tournament with a 77.

He overcame a shoulder injury late in the season to advance past the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Tournament to earn his first trip to the SJS Masters Championship.

After his stellar season, Kim is the Sun-Star Boys Golfer of the Year.

“In the past I took golf very seriously,” Kim said. “I spent less time with my family and more time on the golf course. When I would get done with golf, I would hang out with my buddies. My priorities were mixed up. Now I realize there are more things to love than golf. There’s more balance in my life.”

Kim came to Merced High this year after a rough couple years.

He moved away from home at the age of 16 because he wasn’t getting a long with his parents. He kept breaking their rules by staying out late He was determined to do what he wanted.

That led to his transfer to Downey High after he moved in with an older friend in Modesto.

“All the support they gave me, I didn’t take advantage of it,” Kim said. “It definitely made me experience the real world. I had to make my own food and do my own laundry. I didn’t play golf. I didn’t want to do anything.”

Kim credits his faith in helping sort out his life away from the golf course.

After a year away from home, Kim’s mother reached out to him and he moved back with his parents. Religion had become a big part of his life. He started going to church every week.

He transferred to Merced for his senior year and quickly connected with Bears golf coach Steve Lewis.

“Nobody wanted this kid,” Lewis said. “Coaches told me you’re going to regret having him on your team. Peter had a reputation of notoriously being difficult. To put it in Peter’s terms, Peter doesn’t take any crap. He doesn’t have a filter. I knew the talent and ability is there. He works hard. I told our athletic director (Paul Hogue) I’d take him in a second.”

Part of the reason for Kim’s problems is he suffers from Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD), which made school tough.

“I had a bad reputation,” Kim said. “I was different than any other kid. The stuff I did, I’m not proud of. I knew the type of kid I was and I wanted to change that. I like to do things on my own. I have ADHD. I didn’t listen to people. Coach Lewis let me do things my way and whenever I got off the path he would tell me.

“I’ve learned how to cope with the (ADHD). I try to make sure I’m under control. In class sometimes I doze off. I listen to music and that helps me focus. I try to tell myself to finish the work now and then I don’t have to worry about it later. When I’m playing golf the ADHD doesn’t make it hard to let bad shots go. It’s more like when I”m playing, all of a sudden I’ll start thinking about a bird in a tree.”

Kim was having fun playing golf again. He fit in with the team and even earned the nickname, “Soy Sauce.”

Before a match against Buhach Colony, one of his teammates dared him to take a shot of soy sauce. Kim did and went out and shot a 69 against the Thunder.

He took another shot of soy sauce before a match against GV and shot a 70.

The soy sauce became his new prematch routine.

“He works hard, he’s dedicated and he probably has the best golf swing I’ve ever seen,” Lewis said. “For other kids, I feel like I’m teaching the game. For Peter, it’s just fine-tuning.”

Another bad decision led to his shoulder injury late in the season. He decided to put on boxing gloves while fooling around with friends and injured his shoulder while throwing a punch.

Even a shot of soy sauce couldn’t numb the pain. He struggled his way to an 87 at the CCC Championship at the end of the regular season.

He gritted his way through divisionals and masters. After some rough patches, Kim’s high school career had a happy ending.

“I loved this season,” he said. “The team was great. The weight lifting coach at Merced (Bart McAfee) really helped me out. When I came to Merced I couldn’t bench a plate. Now I’m benching 200 pounds. It’s increased my distance on the golf course.

“If it wasn’t for coach Lewis, I wouldn’t have played golf. I didn’t even think I was going to play when I transferred to Merced. He reached out to me. I got a lot of support from the staff at Merced. I don’t think I would have been as good as I was without their support.”

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Merced’s Kim finds his way to Golfer of the Year."