PGA Tour pro reveals wild equipment story with Masters spot hanging by a thread

Recent Masters qualifier Michael Kim has revealed he played the closing holes of the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open with a cracked driver despite his spot in the first men's major of the year hanging in the balance. 

Kim entered the PGA Tour event at Memorial Park Golf Club just outside the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.

American Ben Griffin was also attempting to secure his spot in the 2025 Masters field and, over the weekend, the duo seesawed back-and-forth in the unofficial projections. 

In the end, Kim's rounds of 65, 68 and 69 after an opening day 70 saw him finish in a tie for 32nd.

It was enough for him to edge ahead of Griffin into 50th.

One can only imagine how nervous Kim was down the stretch. 

Matters were made worse after he noticed before hitting his tee shot on the 18th hole that there was a crack in his driver. 

He asked a rules official to go and retrieve another one but apparently they took so long that Kim 'just hit it anyway'. 

"I made some pretty nervy swings on the back nine there thinking about it," later told reporters.  

"My driver cracked on, I don't know exactly what hole, but it was cracked and I was trying to get a replacement on 18, but rules official took too long for it so I just hit it anyway."

Kim found the fairway with his driver and hit the green. But he was 68 feet away. 

But he managed to hole a six foot putt to save his par.

It transpired that it didn't matter if Kim had missed but at the time he did not know that. 

Griffin will have one more chance to punch his ticket but will need to win the Valero Texas Open. 

Kim will take a deserved week off. 

Daniel Berger, J.J. Spaun, Laurie Canter and Stephan Jaeger were the other three golfers who secured their Masters spots over the weekend. 

The 2025 Masters begins 10 April. 

Scottie Scheffler is the overwhelming favourite to defend his title and win his third green jacket.