"I might have been the worst putter in jr golf" - PGA Tour winner pens emotional note for late golf coach Dave Pelz

PGA Tour Pro Michael Kim wrote an emotional note for late golf coach Dave Pelz. Kim is known on social media for his humorous nature, but the golfer wrote a heart-warming statement after Pelz's demise.

Pelz passed away due to prostate cancer at the age of 85 on Sunday, and Kim described how the coach helped him get better at putting. His words were:

“I might have been the worst putter in jr golf until I saw Jordan Spieth use the Pelz tutor. Never knew I was aiming way left and pushing it a mile until I got one. Totally changed my putting and even used it today. Thank you for your influence in golf RIP Mr. Pelz.”

Before his death, Pelz once shared with GolfWeek how practice wasn't the only thing making someone's game perfect. He told:

“There is a misnomer out there that practice makes perfect…Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. It's sad, but there are thousands of golfers out there who are practicing the wrong things and are actually ingraining flaws into their swings.”

In 1982, Pelz introduced Featherlite golf clubs, and in 1986, he left manufacturing to focus on research and development. He had a two-ball putter, which was one of the top-selling clubs. After Pelz’s guidance, Kim had some top-10 finishes in 2025.

How did PGA Tour Pro Michael Kim perform in the 2025 tournaments?

Michael Kim had five top 10 finishes in 2025, including a T2 at the WM Phoenix Open, a T6 at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, and a T4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. by Mastercard. His last tournament was the Valspar Championship, where he finished at T28 with 2 under 282. The first tournament of the year was the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he missed the cut line.

Here's a list of all Kim’s 2025 PGA Tour events so far:

2025 PGA TOUR Tournaments

• Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club: Missed cut
• The American Express at the Pete Dye Stadium Course: T43, 12 under 276
• Farmers Insurance Open at the Torrey Pines (South Course): Missed cut
• WM Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course): T2, 17 under 267
• The Genesis Invitational at the Torrey Pines (South Course): T13, 4 under 284
• Mexico Open at VidantaWorld: T13, 13 under 271
• Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: T6, 15 under 269
• Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. by Mastercard at the Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge: T4, 8 under 280
• THE PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course): Missed cut
• Valspar Championship at the Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course): T28, 2 under 282