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When Tom Kim won for the third time on the PGA Tour in October 2023, capturing the Shriners Children’s Open for the second straight year, many fans assumed the floodgates would open for the young phenom.
But Kim hadn’t been back in the winner’s circle since that victory.
Until Sunday.
The 24-year-old South Korean closed with a sparkling 64, tied for low round of the day, in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open for his first PGA Tour victory in nearly three years.
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Kim had a strong week at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, opening with a five-under 65 in round one before firing a 66 in round two to share the lead at the halfway point of the tournament with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Smith.
However, McIlroy and Smith struggled in the fog-delayed third round (73 and 72, respectively) while Kim kept the momentum rolling with another under-par round (68). The weekend schedule was complicated by fog delays, with third-round play spilling into Sunday morning before the final round began.
Kim trailed Matt Fitzpatrick by one shot heading into round four, but the 24-year-old quickly made up the difference with birdies on three of his first seven holes.
Min Woo Lee made a late charge, cutting Kim’s lead to one shot with just a few holes left, but Kim hit a beautiful approach on the par-4 16th to set up his sixth birdie of the day and ultimately put himself out of reach for the rest of the field.
And the victory comes at a great time, too.
After playing in every major tournament from 2023-25, Kim failed to qualify for both the 2026 Masters and PGA Championship before posting an impressive third-place finish at the U.S. Open. Kim won’t have to worry about qualifying for the Masters or PGA next year, as the Scottish Open victory guarantees a berth in both next season. His third-place finish at the U.S. Open earned him an automatic bid into the 2027 U.S. Open, as well.
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The win also gives Kim momentum heading into the 2026 Open Championship. He finished tied for second in the 2023 Open but failed to make the cut in both 2024 and 2025. His game is in a much better place than it was in either of the past two seasons, though.
Kim has made the cut in 15 of the 17 events he’s played this year, plus he has the Scottish Open win and the third-place finish at the U.S. Open to remind himself of the immense talent he’s always possessed.
Kim won his first two PGA Tour events at age 20, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice before turning 21.
The third victory at age 21 appeared to have him on the fast track to PGA Tour success. But as is the case for many young golfers, Kim hit a rough patch following the October 2023 victory at Shriners. He had just three top-10 finishes in 2024 and 2025 combined, with zero victories and no top-25 finishes in any of the eight majors (after finishing top-10 in both the 2023 U.S. Open and Open Championship).
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Now it’s fair to wonder if that stretch is fully behind Kim, who has struggled with consistency since he burst onto the scene in 2022.
The first chance he’ll have to prove that this week wasn’t a one-off is at Royal Birkdale for the 2026 Open Championship, which begins on Thursday.
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