Tom Kim Wins the Scottish Open After 1,001 Days Without a Win

It was a deeply symbolic moment: Tom Kim buried his face in his hands, and the tears came almost at the same time as the cheers. The 24-year-old South Korean had just won the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open—on the very same course where his career had begun four years earlier. With a flawless final round of 64 strokes (-6) at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, he secured the title by two strokes over Australian Min Woo Lee, ending a 1,001-day winless streak. This is Kim’s first title on the DP World Tour and his fourth victory on the PGA Tour —the event was co-sanctioned by both tours.

Click here for the final leaderboard of the 2026 Scottish Open.

Bogey-Free Masterclass in Final-Round Showdown

Sunday at the Firth of Forth demanded everything from the competitors. Because fog had largely paralyzed play on Saturday, the players first had to finish the third round before immediately starting the decisive fourth round—a Herculean effort under changeable conditions.

Kim entered the final day one stroke behind the lead. But early on, he showed that he had no intention of settling for a supporting role. Birdies on holes 1, 4, and 7—all cleverly earned, sometimes with the Putter, sometimes from a difficult lie—propelled him to the top of the field. On hole 4, the Renaissance Club’s signature hole, his ball landed in a divot on the Fairway, of all places. Instead of getting discouraged, Kim hit his Iron to within 15 feet and sank the birdie putt.

The decisive shot of the tournament came on the 16th hole: From 203 yards out, Kim hit the green to within six feet and made the Birdie putt—suddenly, two strokes separated him from the rest of the field. “That second shot on 16 is one of the best I’ve ever hit in my career,” Kim said at the press conference afterward. On the 18th hole, he once again saved Par with a Chip shot from the front of the green—a bogey-free 64, 17 under par overall.

Min Woo Lee, the 2021 Scottish Open champion, tried to keep up until the very end and needed a hole-out from the Fairway on the final hole to force a playoff—but the ball came to rest in the rough. The Australian finished with a 67. Behind him, Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick, Keita Nakajima, and Johnny Keefer tied for third place, each at 12 under par.

Read here to find out how much prize money each player earned at the Scottish Open.

From a slump back to the top of the world—a story of patience

What makes this victory so special can hardly be captured in statistics. Kim was once the PGA Tour’s prodigy: In 2022, at just 20 years old, he won the Wyndham Championship in only his third tournament as a full-time Tour member—and followed that up with the Shriners title two months later. This made him the first player since Tiger Woods to record two Tour victories before his 21st birthday. A third victory followed in 2023 when he successfully defended his title in Las Vegas.

Then came the slump. Just a single top-10 finish in the entire 2025 season, a free fall in the world rankings to beyond the top 150. Kim changed caddies and his swing technique, worked without a permanent coach for a time—and didn’t find a new anchor in swing coach Sean Foley until the beginning of this year. His self-belief remained, but the results were slow in coming. Just a few weeks ago, Kim had to earn his spot in the U.S. Open through regional qualifying—and finished the major tied for third place. A first glimmer of his former form.

Confirmation of that came at the Scottish Open. “I had to swallow a lot of humility and really learn a lot about myself,” Kim said at the press conference. “I dedicate this victory to the people who have been in my corner the whole time, who have suffered with me and celebrated with me.” Tiger Woods was the first to send his congratulations via text message—the two know each other from the TGL team at Jupiter Links Golf Club. For Kim, who also draws inspiration from the mindset of his friend and training partner Scottie Scheffler, it was a moment that underscored the significance of the victory.

Kim’s achievement is historic in any case: He is the first South Korean to win the Scottish Open and only the fourth non-American to have four PGA Tour wins before his 25th birthday—joining Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, and Hideki Matsuyama.

MacIntyre, McIlroy, and the Open Tickets

For Scottish home favorite Robert MacIntyre, the 2024 defending champion, it was a bitter Sunday. Four Bogey shots over a seven-hole stretch on the front nine knocked him out of contention; an Eagle on the 12th came too late. “It’s an incredible feeling to be playing for the title here at home at the Scottish Open. It’s just a shame I couldn’t give the crowd anything,” MacIntyre said at the press conference.

Rory McIlroy had been in the lead after two rounds, but faltered in the fog-shrouded third round with a 73 and found himself six strokes behind on Sunday. His final round—a 64 with five Birdies on the first seven holes—was an impressive sign of life, but it was only enough for a tie for seventh place. On the 16th hole, he hooked an Iron deep into the Rough and remarked dryly, “Oh my God, I’m so bad at golf.” A little later, he added more matter-of-factly that he still had work to do before the start of the Open Championship, but didn’t feel too far off from his best golf.

For Johnny Keefer, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Victor Perez, the tournament marked a career milestone of a different kind: As the top three unqualified players, they secured spots in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale —just a few days earlier, Keefer and Thorbjornsen had been on the alternate list.

The champion looks ahead

Tom Kim heads to Royal Birkdale as the newly crowned Rolex Series champion and with a Masters invitation for 2027 in his pocket. Whether his momentum will carry him remains to be seen—but the 24-year-old has learned to appreciate the moment without letting it go to his head. “I think my journey is just beginning,” he said at the press conference. “I’m getting older and maturing in many ways.”

At the Scottish Open, where it all began, he has turned a new page.

Highlights of the 2026 Scottish Open on video