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When Tom Kim won for the third time on the PGA Tour in October 2023 and won the Shriners Children’s Open for the second year in a row, many fans assumed the floodgates would open for the young phenom.
But Kim hadn’t been back in the winner’s circle since that win.
Until Sunday.
Tom Kim shot 64 in the final round of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open to capture his first PGA Tour win since 2023. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The 24-year-old South Korean closed with a scintillating 64, tied for the low round of the day, in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open for his first PGA Tour win 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 stage 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 going with another round under par (68). The weekend’s schedule was complicated by fog delays, with third-round games spilling over 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 closed the gap with birdies on three of his first seven holes.
Tom Kim wins the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Min Woo Lee made a late charge and cut Kim’s lead to one shot with just a few holes remaining, but Kim hit a beautiful approach on the par-4 16th to set up his sixth birdie of the day and eventually put himself out of reach for the rest of the field.
And the victory also comes at a great time.
After playing in every major tournament from 2023-25, Kim failed to qualify for both the 2026 Masters and the PGA Championship before posting an impressive third-place finish at the US Open. Kim needn’t worry about qualifying for the Masters or the PGA next year as the Scottish Open win guarantees a place in both next season. His third-place finish at the US Open also earned him an automatic bid into the 2027 US Open.
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The win also gives Kim momentum heading into the 2026 Open Championship. He finished second in the 2023 Open, but did not make the cut in both 2024 and 2025. However, his game is in a much better place than it was in either of the last two seasons.
Kim has made the cut in 15 of the 17 events he has played this year, plus he has won the Scottish Open and a third-place finish at the US Open to remind himself of the immense talent he has always possessed.
South Korean Tom Kim posted under-par rounds in all four rounds of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Kim won his first two PGA Tour events at the age of 20, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice before turning 21.
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The third win at the age of 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 after winning in October 2023 at the Shriners. He had just three top-10 finishes in 2024 and 2025 combined, with zero wins and no top-25 finishes in any of the eight majors (after finishing top-10 in both the 2023 US Open and the Open Championship).
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Now, it’s fair to wonder if that stretch is completely behind Kim, who has struggled with consistency since bursting onto the scene in 2022.
The first chance he will have to prove this week was not a one-off is at Royal Birkdale for the 2026 Open Championship, which begins on Thursday.
