Cal men’s golf sophomore Michael Kim is dominating the likes of Tiger Woods and many other golf pros at the 2013 U.S. Open.

The Bears’ top player currently stands tied at the No. 8 position among more than 150 amateur and professional golfers known around the world. On the amateur leaderboard, Kim is ranked in second place — just behind Washington’s Cheng-Tsung Pan.

At the Merion Golf Club near Ardmore, Pa., Kim ended his first round on Thursday with a respectable 73 strokes. Although he accumulated five bogeys and even a double bogey on the second hole, Kim managed to gain four birdies to complete his first 18 holes, shooting only three over par.

In the second round on Friday, Kim started with three shots on par and a bogey but later garnered three birdies to put him at just two shots behind professionals Billy Horschel and Phil Mickelson, who are currently tied for first place.

With Friday play suspended due to darkness, Kim will finish the rest of his second round on Saturday morning at 7:15 a.m. Although senior teammate Max Homa will likely not advance to the final two rounds of the tournament with the projected cut at eight-over as of now, Cal’s Michael Weaver is straddling the projected cut line of eight-over par and may still advance.

Kim, on the other hand, will most likely make the final cut, but the superstar golfer plans on waiting to see how his performance turns out on the third day.

“(I’m) trying not to think about it too much,” Kim said. “Low expectations — and whatever happens happens tomorrow.”

Contact Janice Chua at jchua@dailycal.org.

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