Tom Kim wins Scottish Open as European players secure Open spots
Tom Kim ended a 1,001-day PGA Tour drought with a two-shot victory at the Genesis Scottish Open, a result that finalized the qualifying field for next week's major at Royal Birkdale.
Tom Kim secured his fourth PGA Tour title and first worldwide win since the 2023 Shriners Children's Open by shooting a blemish-free 65 to finish at 17 under par. The South Korean entered the final round one stroke behind co-leaders Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick and Min Woo Lee. He ultimately won by two shots over Lee to re-enter the world's top 50.
Kim took control by birdieing the par-five seventh and rolling in a 15-foot putt at the 10th. Lee briefly closed the gap to one stroke with birdies at the 12th and 14th, but Kim responded with a six-foot birdie at the 16th.
Open qualification secured
For the European contingent, the tournament served as the final gateway to the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. Johnny Keefer, Michael Thorbjornsen and Victor Perez claimed the three available spots for players not already exempt by finishing tied-third and tied-ninth respectively.
Home favorite MacIntyre briefly held the solo lead after birdieing the first hole while Fitzpatrick bogeyed the second. However, a stretch of four bogeys in seven holes stalled his momentum. MacIntyre rallied with a 30-foot eagle at the 12th and two late birdies, but he and Fitzpatrick had to settle for a share of third at 13 under.
Rory McIlroy finished tied for seventh after a final-round 64 that matched his season low. He had previously slipped out of contention during a fog-affected third round 73. He cited a recurring struggle with his irons in left-to-right winds, an issue he aims to fix before the major.
"Didn't finish the third round off today particularly well, sort of pieced it together, realised what I was doing, tried to figure it out a bit on the range before I went out for my final round," McIlroy admitted. "At least I know what I'm doing, its a matter of trying to rectify it."
The Scottish Open results finalize the field for the 154th Open, shifting focus to the final men's major of the year. The tournament will be broadcast exclusively in the UK and Ireland by Sky Sports, which will provide over 75 hours of live coverage from Royal Birkdale starting at 6.30am on Thursday July 16.
