Tom Kim ends 1,001-day drought with Genesis Scottish Open victory

Tom Kim has returned to the winner’s circle after a drought that lasted 1,001 days.

Kim, 24 and already in his ninth season as a professional, stormed to victory at the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday. He shot a bogey-free 64 to claim his first PGA Tour win since October 2023.

Last month, Kim found himself ranked outside the top 150 in the world, but a recent surge in form, including a solo third-place finish at the U.S. Open, has given the South Korean phenom momentum.

At the Scottish Open, Kim capitalized on that run at a venue that has historically suited his game. Kim’s last four appearances at Renaissance Club have all ended in top 20 finishes, and back in 2022, his solo third-place finish at the Scottish Open helped pave the way for him to earn PGA Tour status.

Now Kim can say he raised a trophy at the East Lothian links, too.

“It’s really special,” Kim said. “I’m at a loss for words.”

Kim became the fifth player from outside the United States to reach four wins before turning 25. He joins Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Hideki Matsuyama.

Kim’s first two PGA Tour wins, the 2022 Wyndham Championship and the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open, came before he could legally drink in his home base of Dallas.

The third round of the Scottish Open was delayed by haar — a dense sea fog that rolled in off the North Berwick coast — leaving Kim and his peers with a marathon Sunday on tap.

Kim finished only seven holes of his Saturday round before play was suspended for the day at 8 p.m. local time. Players returned to the course for the tournament’s resumption at 7 a.m. local time. Kim eventually finished his third round with a 2-under-par 68 before returning to the course and catching fire in the afternoon.

Kim’s blemish-free round tied the day’s best score, and he fended off a pack of hungry chasers, including Min Woo Lee, a former Scottish Open champion, and Matt Fitzpatrick, one of the hottest golfers on the planet.

Kim finished at 17 under, Lee at 15 under and Fitzpatrick in a four-way tie for third at 13 under. Also tied for third was PGA Tour rookie Johnny Keefer, who grabbed a spot in next week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale with his finish. Michael Thorbjornsen and Victor Perez, who finished at 12 and 11 under par, respectively, also qualified for the Open.

Kim’s clutch approach on the difficult par-4 16th — a 206-yard iron shot to 6 feet — helped him convert an unlikely birdie.

“The wind died down, and it was just a perfect number,” he said. “It was just a lot of commitment there. That shot shape for that wind was so perfect.”

He then parred the par-3 17th and executed a disciplined up-and-down for par on No. 18 to secure a commanding clubhouse lead. Lee would’ve had to hole out from the 18th fairway to get into a playoff with Kim.

Up next for Kim: a trip south to Royal Birkdale for the 154th Open Championship.