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When Tom Kim won for the third time on the PGA Tour in October 2023, winning the Shriners Children’s Open for the second year in a row, many fans thought the floodgates would open for the young phenom.
But Kim hadn’t been back in the winner’s circle since that victory.
Until Sunday.
Tom Kim shot a 64 in the final round of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open to earn his first PGA Tour victory since 2023. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The 24-year-old South Korean finished with a sparkling 64, tied for the day’s first round, in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open for his first PGA Tour victory in almost three years.
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Kim had a good week at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, opening with a five-under 65 in the first round before shooting a 66 in the second round 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 continued her momentum with another sub-par round (68). The weekend schedule was complicated by delays due to fog, with the third round taking place on Sunday morning before the start of the final round.
Kim trailed Matt Fitzpatrick by one stroke heading into the fourth round, but the 24-year-old quickly made up the difference 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, cutting Kim’s lead to one shot with just a few holes to play, but Kim made a nice approach on the par-4 16th to set up his sixth birdie of the day and finally put himself out of reach for the rest of the field.
And the victory also comes at a good time.
After competing in every major 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 won’t have to worry about qualifying for the Masters or PGA next year, as winning the Scottish Open guarantees a place in both next season. His third-place finish at the US Open also earned him an automatic bid to the 2027 US Open.
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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 qualify in 2024 and 2025. His game, however, is in a much better place than it was over the past two seasons.
Kim has been successful in 15 of the 17 events he has entered this year, and his victory at the Scottish Open and third place at the US Open remind him of the immense talent he has always possessed.
South Korean Tom Kim posted below-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 age 20, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice before turning 21.
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The third victory at 21 seemed to put him on the fast track to PGA Tour success. But as is the case with many young golfers, Kim went through a rough patch following his October 2023 victory at the Shriners. He has only 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 at the 2023 US Open and Open Championship).
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It’s now fair to wonder if that period is entirely behind Kim, who has struggled for 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.
