Major champion slammed after using AimPoint for tap-in

A screenshot doesn’t always tell the full story – and that was certainly the case here – but there was little wonder that A Lim Kim’s use of AimPoint caused a stir on Saturday. 

The controversial green-reading method has been under the spotlight of late against a backdrop of both anger and apathy caused by slow play in the professional game.

Some – including former US Open champion Lucas Glover – believe AimPoint should be outlawed as one way of speeding up the glacial pace of play at the highest level.

The technique, which sees players very deliberately use their feet to work out the tilt of the green, has risen to prominence in recent years and many attribute that as one of the factors leading to worsening pace of play.

• Major champion claims LIV rejection offered ‘easy way out’

• Legendary caddie claims golfers are ‘bullied’ into stressful schedule

Collin Morikawa uses AimPoint and hit back at Glover, insisting that when done correctly, the method shouldn’t be an issue at all.

But plenty on social media took a dim view of an extreme example on social media, when a screenshot showed LPGA star Kim use the routine for a putt no longer than 18 inches in distance.

Kim was competing at the Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club, where she missed a putt for birdie on the par-3 fourth hole. Rather than tapping in for par, Kim stood over her ball and began the AimPoint routine.

A full video clip shows that Kim spent only a split second using the method, but that did not stop social media erupting over a green-reading system that continues to draw ire from fans.

• Tiger Woods and LIV chief meet Donald Trump for peace talks

• Tiger Woods suffers “one of most embarrassing moments” of career

“Dear dear!” Sky Sports commentator Ewen Murray posted on X, replying to the screenshot. “That’s a joke right?!” his colleague Andrew Coltart added.

The mitigation, perhaps, was that Kim, a former US Women’s Open winner, did not actually complete a typical AimPoint routine.

“It’s a pace of play nightmare and it needs to go,” the Fried Egg’s Meg Adkins wrote. “That being said, watch the video and you can see A Lim step off to tap it in almost immediately before the video cuts away. Yes, it looks ridiculous, but there are far more egregious AimPoint examples out there.”

Kim ultimately shot a 68 on Sunday to finish sixth on 17-under, 11 shots behind the champion Angel Yin.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.