American Express last day 8-under par hit… Final 23 under par
Kim Si-woo (26) broke the gap of 3 years and 8 months and reached the top of the American Professional Golf (PGA) tour.
On the 25th (Korean time), Siwoo Kim struck an 8-under par in the final round of the PGA Tour American Express (total prize pool of $6.7 million) held at the PGA West Stadium Course (par 72) in La Quinta, California, USA, and won a total of 23 under par 265 strokes in four rounds. .
Kim Si-woo, who defeated Patrick Cantle (USA)’s pursuit by one stroke, held the third trophy in the PGA Tour’s career.
The winning prize is $1.26 thousand (approximately 1,322.73 million won).
The FedEx ranking rose to 9th, and the prize money ranking also jumped to 13th ($1.7 million).
Kim Si-woo did not gain momentum after conquering the Players Championship in May 2017.
For 3 years and 8 months, he ended in runners-up once and third place twice.
He lost his confidence as he lost his chances to win a couple of times due to a chronic back injury.
The Korean player’Signboard’ of the PGA Tour also passed on to junior Im Seong-jae (23).
However, Kim Si-woo, who returned after healed his body and mind, quenched his long-standing thirst for winning and announced a new leap forward.
The only active players on the PGA Tour who climbed the top 3 wins before turning 26 are Colin Morikawa (USA) and Kim Si-woo, who are ranked 4th in the world.
A particularly nice gift to Kim Si-woo, who was guaranteed a tour card until 2023 by winning this day, is the Masters ticket in April.
This is because Kim Si-woo’s three-year Masters qualification, which he had acquired by winning the Players Championship in 2017, expired last year.
He has also confirmed his right to participate in the PGA Championship.
The good memories of the PGA West Stadium course were also revived.
At the age of 17, Siwoo Kim enjoyed the honor of being the youngest member of the PGA Tour Qualifying School held here.
Last year, my back hurt in the first round here, so I washed away the pain I had with 15 over par and abstained.
The stadium course is the work of Pete Dai, notorious for its design to annoy players.
Kim Si-woo also showed off his relationship to win twice in a course designed by Dai, including TPC Sograss, where the Players Championship is held.
Kim Si-woo said, “I had a chance to win every year, but I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep again because I failed because I wasn’t calm, but I was able to win after focusing only on my game.”
Kim Si-woo, who took the lead in the final round with Tony Pinau (USA) and Max Houma (above USA), cruised with four birdies up to the 8th hole.
With the first and second hole buddies, Pinau was lightly overtaken with the 4th and 5th hole buddy, and the 7th and 8th hole buddy.
Kim Si-woo, who continued to play a solid lead in the 10th hole (par 4) and 11th hole (par 5), picked out a birdie once again, but received a fierce pursuit by Cantle.
Cantley, who jumped into the championship competition by reducing six strokes to the 9th hole, continued hunting buddy in the second half and stretched with Kim Si-woo, moving between 1st batting solo lead, joint lead, and 1st batting second place.
In the 18th hole (par 4), Cantley, who successfully putt downhill buddy and swept 11 birdies without a look, ended the game first, ahead of Kim Si-woo.
After the third round, Kim Si-woo, who said, “I’ll wait a little more tomorrow, make my mind more comfortable and less aggressive,” he played at the 16th hole (par 5).
When the tee shot from 299 yards landed on the fairway, he left 267 yards and hit the green right away with the 5th wood.
The ball landed on the green, avoiding the deep bunker that stood on the left side of the green.
Siwoo Kim returned to the joint lead by picking a birdie with two putts.
Kim Si-woo went up to the lead by dropping a 6m birdie putt into the hole in the subsequent hole 17 (par 3).
Kim Si-woo, feeling instinctively that he had crossed the ninth ridge leading to the championship, swung his clenched fist.
Siwoo Kim calmly closed the 18th hole (par 4) with a par and confirmed the championship.
“I knew from the scoreboard that Cantle was playing well,” said Kim Si-woo, “I believed that if I focused on my game, the opportunity would come.”
Cantley accepted defeat by saying, “I did everything I could.”
Cameron Davis (Australia), who hit an 8-under par, took 3rd place (20 under par 268).
Pinau, who struggled to win the game at the beginning of the game, plunged the second shot into the water at the 11th hole (par 5), and missed a short partt of less than 1 meter, stepping back from the championship competition and finished in fourth place (19 under par 269 strokes).
Ahn Byung-hoon (30) hit a 3-under par 69 and tied for 9th (14 under par 274).
It is the first top 10 prize in the 2020-2021 season, which started last October.
Lim Seong-jae, 23, reduced the number of strokes by three and raised the rank to a tie for 13th place (13 under par 275).
Lee Gyeong-hoon (30), who hit 4 under par 68, ended the tournament with a tie for 32nd place (10 under par 278).
/yunhap news