Kim Si-woo ties for 6th at Open Championship for career-best finish at major

Kim Si-woo finished tied for sixth place at the 154th Open Championship, marking his best-ever performance at a major tournament. The 31-year-old South Korean golfer concluded the competition with a four-round score of six-under-par 274 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, on Sunday. His result placed him four strokes behind the champion, New Zealander Ryan Fox. Kim entered the final round trailing the 54-hole leader, American Sam Burns, by two shots at eight-under-par. He began the day with a strong showing, posting back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes while playing alongside American Ryan Gerard in the penultimate pairing. This gave him a one-shot lead at the turn. However, his momentum quickly shifted as he struggled on the back nine. Kim recorded four bogeys in the final round, all on the back nine. On the 11th hole, he faced a difficult situation after hitting his tee shot into a bunker, requiring three shots to reach the green. He followed with a two-putt for a bogey. On the par-3 12th hole, he missed the green and failed to convert a 15-foot par attempt. A bogey on the 16th hole further dented his chances, and he added another bogey on the 18th after missing a 12-foot birdie opportunity on the par-5 17th. Despite his late-season struggles, Kim has remained among the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour this year. He led the tour with 357 birdies through 2026 and shared the record for the most top-10 finishes with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, both achieving 10 such results. Prior to this Open Championship, Kim had only managed one previous top-10 finish in 37 major appearances, a tie for eighth at last year’s PGA Championship. Following his performance at the Open Championship, Kim climbed three positions in the world rankings to reach No. 18, matching his career-high ranking achieved earlier this year after finishing tied for 10th at the Memorial Tournament. Another South Korean golfer, Im Sung-jae, secured a tie for 14th place with a score of four-under 276, moving him up 9 spots in the world rankings from 86th to 77th. Tom Kim, who recently claimed victory at the Scottish Open, did not make the cut at Royal Birkdale. As a result, his world ranking dropped from 33rd to 34th. Kim’s performance at the Open Championship highlights his growing presence on the international golf scene. While he fell short of securing his first major title, his career-best finish underscores his potential and consistency on the grand stage. His ability to compete at the highest level in a challenging course environment demonstrates his resilience and skill. With continued success on the PGA Tour and improved performances in majors, Kim could still achieve his long-awaited breakthrough in the near future.