Kim Joo-hyung Ends 33-Month PGA Tour Drought with Scottish Open Victory

Kim Joo-hyung captured his fourth career PGA Tour title at the Genesis Scottish Open, triumphing after a 33-month wait since his last victory. The South Korean golfer carded a final-round 6-under 64, including six birdies and no bogeys, to finish at 17-under par 263. He held off a strong challenge from Australian Lee Min-woo, who finished two strokes back at 15-under.

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Golf is a sport where you can't guarantee you'll always play well. I've learned that it's a sport with ups and downs.

The emotional victory came after a challenging period for Kim, who had experienced a slump following his early success on the tour. "Golf is a sport where you can't guarantee you'll always play well. I've learned that it's a sport with ups and downs," Kim said in his post-round interview, visibly moved. He added, "I cried because I thought of the people who endured the difficult times with me and rejoiced together."

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I cried because I thought of the people who endured the difficult times with me and rejoiced together.

Kim's path to victory was demanding, as he had to complete the third round in the morning due to fog delays before heading straight into the final 18 holes. Starting the final round in a tie for fourth, one shot off the lead, he quickly surged ahead with three birdies on the front nine and added crucial birdies on the 10th and 16th holes to secure his lead.

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I trusted the experience I've gained over the past few years and all the effort I've put in to get back to this position.

Reflecting on his resilience, Kim stated, "I trusted the experience I've gained over the past few years and all the effort I've put in to get back to this position." He also shared a touching anecdote about receiving a congratulatory text message from Tiger Woods, with whom he is associated in the TGL (Tech Golf League). Looking ahead to The Open Championship, Kim expressed his intention to quickly reset and focus on the next challenge, emphasizing the difficulty of winning multiple times a year.

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I don't plan on carrying this feeling over to next week. One of the things I've learned playing golf is that even after a good week, you have to move on quickly to the next.