Tom Kim secures Genesis Scottish Open title, ending wait for PGA Tour win
Tom Kim has claimed his first PGA Tour victory since 2023, winning the Genesis Scottish Open. He finished two shots ahead of Min Woo Lee, marking his fourth PGA Tour title. The win moves Kim back into the world’s top 50 golfers.
Kim entered the final round at The Renaissance Club one shot behind co-leaders Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Lee. An impressive round of 65, free of bogeys, propelled him to the top of the leaderboard. He concluded the tournament at 17 under par.
Kim’s path to victory
Kim, playing in an earlier group, quickly pulled level with the leaders by making two birdies within his first four holes. He further extended his lead by capitalising on the par-five seventh and sinking a 15-foot putt for another birdie on the 10th hole. Meanwhile, MacIntyre experienced a setback, recording four bogeys across a seven-hole stretch starting from the fourth.
Lee, who posted a front-nine 34, matched Kim’s birdie on the 12th and added another on the 14th, briefly narrowing the gap to one shot. However, Kim responded with a six-foot birdie on the 16th and parred his final two holes to secure his winning total. Kim expressed pride in his performance under pressure, stating he executed shots when needed and remained calm.
Fitzpatrick’s final round included four birdies and three bogeys, resulting in a one-under 69. MacIntyre, despite a 30-foot eagle on the 12th and two late birdies, finished the week at 13 under, tied for third place with Fitzpatrick, Keita Nakajima, and Johnny Keefer. Keefer earned a spot in The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale as one of the top three non-exempt players.
Rory McIlroy made a strong push on Sunday, recording five birdies in his first seven holes, with a final-round 64. This performance matched his lowest of the season and elevated him to tied-seventh alongside Michael Thorbjornsen. McIlroy attributed some inconsistency with his irons to playing in a left-to-right wind, an issue he plans to address before The Open.
Equipment used by the champion
For his victory at the Genesis Scottish Open, Tom Kim utilised a specific set of golf equipment. His driver was a Titleist GTS3 (9 degrees) fitted with a Fujikura ATMOS Black 6 X shaft. He also used Titleist GTS3 fairway woods (15 degrees with a Fujikura ATMOS Black 7 X shaft, and 18 degrees with a Fujikura Ventus Blue VeloCore+ 8X shaft).
Kim’s iron set included a Titleist T200 (2-iron) with a Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X shaft, and Titleist T100 irons (4-9) with Project X 6.0 shafts. His wedge setup consisted of a Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46 degrees) with a Project X 6.0 shaft, and SM9 wedges (54, 58 degrees) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Onyx X100 shafts. For putting, he used a Scotty Cameron Tour Type GSS prototype, and his ball of choice was the Titleist Pro V1x.
Michael Thorbjornsen and Victor Perez, who finished tied-ninth, also secured spots for the final men’s major of the year, joining Keefer. Defending champion Chris Gotterup and US Open winner Wyndham Clark finished tied-11th and tied-13th respectively after one-over 71s.
Kim acknowledged the strong support for MacIntyre from the Scottish fans, noting that he could still feel their appreciation for good shots. He described Scottish fans as some of the best in the world, understanding the game well, and expressed his delight at winning a trophy in the Home of Golf. Live coverage of The Open begins at 6:30 AM on Thursday, July 16.
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Source: skysports.com
