Si Woo Kim wins the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii
We may well be witnessing the initial steps in the journey of a new star of golf, with the young South Korean putting on a show out in the fittingly beautiful location of Hawaii. Indeed, it matched the performance he put on.
Against the lush backdrop of Hawaii’s incredible scenery, the rising star from South Korea proved once again that he can compete with the best of them, as he clinched yet another title courtesy of a clutch of late birdies.
Si Woo Kim wins the Sony Open in Hawaii
When we look back on the Sony Open in Hawaii and the man who won it, Si Woo Kim, perhaps the thing we will remember first is the risk it all attitude with which he played his aggressive chip shot on the 17th hole during the final round. Indeed, Kim said he had nothing to lose as he bravely chipped in for a birdie. “It can’t get better than this,” Kim gushed. To put things in context, the 27-year-old South Korean tied for the lead with a dramatic chip-in at the par 3 and then proceed to add a two-putt birdie from 42 feet at the 18th to equal the low score on Sunday.
Kim’s 6-under 64 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, gave him the platform to claim a one-stroke victory over Hayden Buckley and more importantly, his fourth career PGA Tour title. Not a bad haul, when you consider that he’s also got the 2017 Players Championship on his CV as well. Incidentally, he’s actually still trailing his wife, Ji Hyun Oh, when it comes to wins on the course. After becoming a professional in 2014, Ji Hyun Oh has since collected seven wins on the KLPGA. The couple recently exchanged vows on December 19th. “Feel like we’re (on our) honeymoon because we came here early last week,” Kim said. Perhaps it was that relaxed mentality that served him well down the stretch, with the Kim admitting that he approached the final round of the Sony Open with a different mental state, which is to say not thinking about winning. “Just play the golf,” he said. Ultimately, it’s an approach that worked in that Kim was actually trailing by three strokes when play began, but with birdies on the first three holes, it was clear he was on a mission even before he took a one stroke lead over Buckley.
How did Si Woo Kim get here?
Golf fans will remember, that it was back in September when Kim for the International team in the Presidents Cup. Following a practice round with teammate Adam Scott, Kim quickly added Scott’s putting style i.e., the use of a broomstick-length putter to his repertoire. Needless to say, it didn’t take long till he was reaping the benefits as he dismissed the American, Justin Thomas, in the singles match before ending up with an impressive 3-0-1 record overall. True to form, Kim minimalized the importance of the win, calling it “just a lucky day,” but he would later admit that it did wonders for his confidence. “My game was little down like at the end of the season, but I think that kind of like gave me momentum,” he said.
What about Si Woo Kim’s performance in Hawaii?
In truth, it was the kind of finish that fans like to see, which is to say Kim’s victory didn’t come easy. Indeed, Kim had to go on the hunt to catch Buckley who was the 54-hole leader and quite frankly, a decent bet. After starting with a birdie, it looked like he might run away with things, but bit by bit his momentum faded and, on the 11th, he committed his first bogey from 5 feet out, which saw him fall a single stroke behind Kim. “I feel like the putting was a little shaky,” Buckley would later admit.
On the other hand, what would a dramatic tournament be without twists and turns. Buckley would later make a push with a 17-foot birdie at the 12th and if that wasn’t enough, there was also a 29-foot birdie at the14th to vault which gave him the lead once more. Unfortunately for the American, he would begin to fade towards the finale. His 4-foot in and out par putt at the 15th, left him tied for the lead heading to the 16th and though he briefly took the lead at the hole following a 16-foot putt, it wouldn’t be enough to secure his first title on tour. As we mentioned before, Kim did something you don’t see every day. With a 28-foot chip shot over the 17th green, he completed a play and subsequent celebration that even Tiger Woods would be proud of. “Right before that I heard the noise, I knew he made it,” Kim said of Buckley’s birdie putt at 16. “It was a tough lie - into the grain - so I had to be aggressive and I had nothing to lose and it went in.” Where Buckley is concerned, the 26-year-old admitted that sometimes it’s just the way the cookie crumbles. “Winning on the PGA Tour is the hardest thing to do, and sometimes you just get beat,” Buckley said. “I feel like that’s what happened today.”