When a PGA Tour pro publicly gushes about a partner’s golf swing, you know something special is brewing. Michael Kim just dropped a social media bombshell that has the golf world buzzing with excitement.
The 32-year-old took to X on Tuesday morning with a post that was equal parts playful and genuine. “Super excited to tee it up with Rose at the @gtinvitational!” Kim wrote. “Sometimes a Cal Bear and a Stanford Tree can get along!” But he didn’t stop there. The real kicker came in his next line: “(Especially when your partner has the prettiest golf swing you can imagine).”
That’s right. Kim and Rose Zhang are officially teaming up for the December 12-14 Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida. And Kim’s not hiding his excitement one bit.
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The Cal-Stanford rivalry angle makes this pairing even more entertaining. Kim won the prestigious Haskins Award at Cal Berkeley in 2013. Zhang, meanwhile, dominated at Stanford with two consecutive NCAA Individual Championships in 2022 and 2023. She even broke Tiger Woods‘ Stanford tournament record by winning 12 times in just 20 collegiate starts.
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These two universities have battled it out in “The Big Match” since 2018. The annual golf showdown features both schools’ men’s and women’s teams competing head-to-head. Cal and Stanford are tied 3-3 in the series through 2025. Now, two of their brightest golf stars are joining forces.
Kim’s compliment about Zhang’s swing isn’t just friendly banter. It’s backed by serious credentials. Zhang spent a record 141 consecutive weeks atop the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She made history in June 2023 by winning the Mizuho Americas Open in her professional debut. That made her the first player to accomplish that feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
Her second LPGA victory came at the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup. Zhang fired a tournament-record 24-under-par to dominate the field. She also went 4-0-0 at the 2024 Solheim Cup, proving she thrives under pressure. Those are the kind of performances that earn genuine praise from fellow pros.
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Kim has been experiencing his own career resurgence in 2025. He finished T2 at the WM Phoenix Open in February, pocketing $818,800. Then in September, he captured his first worldwide victory since 2018 at the FedEx Open de France. The win earned him $552,500 and launched him to a career-best No. 38 in the world rankings.
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His social media presence has exploded alongside his game. Kim has amassed over 207,000 followers on X. Multiple golf publications now call him “the PGA Tour’s best follow.” His candid insights and self-deprecating humor resonate with fans everywhere.
The tournament’s unique mixed-team format and significance
This marks Zhang’s second Grant Thornton appearance. She finished T9 with Sahith Theegala in the 2023 inaugural event. Kim, however, is making his tournament debut. The pairing joins a stacked field that tournament officials recently unveiled. Defending champions Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp return after their wire-to-wire victory in 2024. Inaugural winners Lydia Ko and Jason Day are back for another run. The powerhouse duo of Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy headlines the competition.
The Grant Thornton stands alone as golf’s only current mixed-team event. It’s the first since the JCPenney Classic ended in 1999. The tournament features a $4 million purse split equally between LPGA and PGA Tour players. Winners take home $1 million to share.
What makes this event special is its rotating format. Friday features Scramble. Saturday brings Foursomes (Alternate Shot). Sunday closes with Modified Four-Ball, where players tee off, then switch balls for their second shots. Each format tests different partnership skills.
Kim and Zhang will need all three working in harmony. But if his X post is any indication, they’re already on the same page. Sometimes a Cal Bear and a Stanford Tree really can get along—especially when there’s a million-dollar prize on the line.