PGA Tour: Korea’s Joohyung Kim cements rising-star status with five-shot win at Wyndham Championship

Korea’s Joohyung “Tom” Kim announced his arrival on the PGA Tour and cemented his rising star status in the process following an emphatic five-shot victory at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday.

At age 20 years, 1 month and 17 days, Kim became the second-youngest winner since the Second World War and the first born in the 2000s to win on the Tour after he closed with a stunning final round of 9-under 61 to finish on 20-under overall.

After starting the tournament with a quadruple bogey – Kim is the first player since records began in 1983 to make a quadruple or worse on the first hole and go on to win – he has now qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs which start this week. Last Sunday, he secured enough FedEx Cup points as a to earn his Tour card for the 2022-23 season.

“It’s crazy,” Kim said. “I mean, I’ve never won a golf tournament starting with a quad and here we are. I played great this week. It was hard to stay in the moment in the final round just knowing that I was so close, but I never let my guard down until I holed that putt on 18.”

Kim returned early on Sunday to complete the remaining eight holes of the weather-disrupted third round with a 68 and trailed third-round leader, Im by two. Nicknamed Tom after Thomas the Tank Engine, Kim charged out like a bullet train in the final round, shooting six birdies and an eagle for an outward 27 to take full control of the tournament which was the final event of the regular season.

Victory also moves Kim to No. 21 in the world rankings and has put himself in position for a spot on the International Team for the Presidents Cup against the US at Quail Hollow next month.

“It’s been a hectic month and a lot of things have changed, for sure,” Kim said.