Tom Kim ended a nearly three-year victory drought on the PGA Tour on Sunday, firing a sparkling 64 in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. The 24-year-old South Korean, who had not won since capturing the Shriners Children's Open in October 2023, delivered a performance that reminded the golf world of the immense talent that once made him the sport's youngest rising star.
Kim opened the tournament with a five-under 65 in round one, then followed with a 66 in round two to share the halfway lead with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Smith. While McIlroy and Smith struggled in the fog-delayed third round—shooting 73 and 72, respectively—Kim kept his momentum with a steady 68. The weekend schedule was complicated by heavy fog, forcing third-round play to spill into Sunday morning before the final round began.
Trailing Matt Fitzpatrick by one shot heading into the final round, Kim quickly erased the deficit with birdies on three of his first seven holes. Min Woo Lee mounted a late charge, cutting Kim's lead to a single shot with just a few holes remaining. But Kim responded with a brilliant approach shot on the par-4 16th, setting up his sixth birdie of the day and effectively putting the tournament out of reach for the rest of the field. His 64 tied for the low round of the day.
The victory carries significant implications for Kim's immediate future. After playing in every major tournament from 2023 through 2025, he failed to qualify for both the 2026 Masters and the PGA Championship earlier this year. That changed dramatically with his Scottish Open win, which guarantees him a berth in both next season. Additionally, his third-place finish at the 2026 U.S. Open earned him an automatic bid into the 2027 U.S. Open.
Kim's win also provides crucial momentum heading into the 2026 Open Championship, which begins Thursday at Royal Birkdale. He finished tied for second in the 2023 Open but missed the cut in both 2024 and 2025. His game appears to be in a much stronger place than in the past two seasons. He has made the cut in 15 of the 17 events he has played this year, and the Scottish Open victory, combined with his U.S. Open performance, has restored the confidence that once defined his early career.
Kim burst onto the PGA Tour with remarkable speed, winning his first two events at age 20. That made him the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice before turning 21. His third victory, at age 21 in October 2023, seemed to confirm that he was on a fast track to sustained success. But like many young golfers, Kim hit a rough patch after that Shriners win. He recorded just three top-10 finishes in 2024 and 2025 combined, with no victories and no top-25 finishes in any of the eight majors he played during that stretch—a stark contrast to his top-10 finishes at both the 2023 U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Now the question is whether Kim can build on this breakthrough. His consistency has been a challenge since he first emerged in 2022, but the Scottish Open win suggests he may have turned a corner. The first test will come this week at Royal Birkdale, where he will try to improve on his uneven Open Championship record. If his performance at the Renaissance Club is any indication, Kim may finally be ready to fulfill the promise that made him one of golf's most exciting young players.