South Korean golfer Tom Kim won the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club after shooting a flawless final-round 64 to finish at 17 under par. The 24-year-old ended two strokes clear of Australia's Min Woo Lee on East Lothian's golf coast.
Kim produced a pure exhibition of ball-striking during his final round, recording six birdies. His iron play featured a sensational approach shot to the par-4 16th to set up an easy birdie and seal the victory.
Lee, who won at the Renaissance Club in 2021, carded a final-round 67 to finish second on 15 under. A four-player group tied for third place on 13 under, including England's Matt Fitzpatrick, who shot a 69, and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, who was joint leader at the start of the final round and also recorded a 69.
The triumph marked a major turnaround for Kim, who was 150th in the world rankings as recently as six weeks ago. After exploding onto the US circuit with three PGA Tour titles before turning 21 and drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods, he had not kicked on until this year, following a difficult couple of years. He finished third at last month's US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Return to form
The win in East Lothian was Kim's first title in three years. He previously finished third at the Scottish Open in 2022 and has never finished outside the top 20 at the tournament.
Asked if the victory was his sweetest triumph, Kim said: "This one’s up there. I played as good as I could have down the stretch with the pressure. I executed when I needed to. I’m very proud of myself for just being calm out there."
Kim added: "Obviously I’ve had a tough couple of years and I got to taste a lot of that humble pie and I got to really learn about myself. I’m still trying to grow, still trying to learn and I’ve still got a long way to go."
The result bodes well for Kim ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale this week. He will hope to go one better than his tie for second place at the major in 2023.
Fog delays and morning play
The tournament faced schedule disruption after fog suspended play on Saturday night. Players were forced to return for a 7am start on Sunday morning to complete their third rounds, pulling MacIntyre out of bed at an ungodly hour.
Starting his morning two under for the day, MacIntyre holed a long birdie putt on the 11th hole. He picked up two more strokes before saving par on the 18th to complete a third-round 65.
That score left MacIntyre on 12 under par, giving him a share of the lead alongside Lee and Fitzpatrick heading into the final round. Rory McIlroy was six shots back after a third-round 73.
MacIntyre, the 2024 champion, suffered a clumsy front nine during his fourth round. He responded with an eagle at the 12th hole and two birdies over his last five holes to post a one-under 69 and settle for a share of third place.
Final round charge by McIlroy
McIlroy mounted a strong final-round challenge, opening with five birdies in his first seven holes. Further birdies at the 12th and 13th holes brought him into contention for a remarkable come-from-behind victory.
His challenge faltered on the par-4 16th hole despite a huge drive. McIlroy hooked his approach shot into deep rough and yelled: "Oh my God, I’m so bad at golf."
He carded a bogey on the hole to effectively end his chances. McIlroy finished with a final-round 64 to end the tournament on 12 under par.
