Tom Kim Ends 33-Month Title Drought with PGA Tour Victory at Genesis Scottish Open

SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Tom Kim ended a 33-month title drought by winning the PGA Tour's Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday (local time). Kim secured his fourth career victory with a composed, bogey-free final round, picking up six birdies at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. He finished at 17-under-par 263, two strokes ahead of Australian Min Woo Lee, who shot 15-under 265. The 24-year-old, whose original Korean name is Kim Joo-hyung, had not won since the Shriners Children's Open in October 2023 but signaled a return to form with a third-place finish at last month's U.S. Open. "I have gone through a lot of tough times over the past few years and experienced some painful losses," Kim said after the victory, fighting back tears. "I am still trying to grow and continue learning." After starting the final round tied for fourth, one shot off the lead, Kim cut three strokes off his score in the front half before moving into a two-shot solo lead with a 4.5-meter birdie putt at the 10th hole. He extended his lead with another birdie at the 12th, where he placed his third shot within 1.8 meters, and added one more at the 16th to move within reach of the title. At the 18th, his second shot missed the green, but he chipped it close and finished with a par putt. Fog delays earlier in the week forced players to complete multiple rounds on Sunday, with Kim finishing his third round before playing the final 18 holes. The victory comes ahead of the British Open, set to begin Thursday, where Kim will challenge for another win. Fellow South Korean Kim Si-woo finished tied for ninth at 11-under 269 after a four-under final round.