Tears of joy & Tiger text as Kim wins - but McIlroy has problem to fix

Tom Kim shed tears of joy and relief, claiming his first title in three years at the Genesis Scottish Open. The South Korean golfer endured a significant form and confidence crisis since his last victory, which saw him plummet down the world rankings. However, he delivered a faultless 64 in the final round at the Renaissance Club to finish at 17 under par, securing a two-shot victory.

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I can't really wrap my mind over it. It's really special and I'm just at a loss for words.

The 24-year-old revealed that he had sought counsel from Tiger Woods during his difficult period. Woods was among the first to congratulate him on his long-awaited win. Kim's performance was a stark reminder of his talent, especially as he was the only player in the field to avoid a bogey in the final round.

"I can't really wrap my mind over it," an emotional Kim said. "It's really special and I'm just at a loss for words." He reflected on the "humble pie" he had to eat over the past couple of years, which helped him learn about himself and continue to grow. He expressed greater appreciation for this victory compared to his earlier wins.

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Obviously I've had a tough couple years. I got to taste a lot of that humble pie and I got to really learn about myself and I'm still trying to grow, still trying to learn.

Min Woo Lee finished as the runner-up, while crowd favorite Bob MacIntyre faltered, ending four shots adrift alongside Matt Fitzpatrick. Rory McIlroy, despite matching Kim's closing six-under 64, faced too large a deficit from his third-round 73, finishing tied for eighth. Americans Michael Thorbjornsen and Johny Keefer secured spots in next week's Open Championship, along with Frenchman Victor Perez.

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I'm definitely appreciating this more now than I did a couple years ago, which is really cool. I thought about my family, all the people around my corner that have suffered with me and also celebrated with me and kind of remembering all those people really brought tears to my eyes.

Kim's career had shown early promise, with his first PGA Tour win at age 20 and two more within 14 months. However, trophies and confidence dried up, leading to a fall from a high of 11th in the world rankings to outside the top 150 just a month ago. This victory marks a significant comeback.

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Obviously on TGL being on Tiger's team, I've been able to ask him questions on certain things. He's been really helpful a lot of the time. This was my first win in three years, and the first person that texted me was Tiger Woods. Shows you the person he is and how much he cares.