Kim wins Wyndham, strong European showing

Victory for Si Woo Kim while Donald, Cabrera-Bello and McDowell post top-fives

Si Woo Kim wins Wyndham Championship
Si Woo Kim wins Wyndham Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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South Korea’s Si Woo Kim won the Wyndham Championship by five shots from Luke Doanld, with Rafa Cabrera Bello and Graeme McDowell in the top five.

Si Woo Kim set a course record of 60 in the second round at Sedgefield CC and followed that up with a 64 to take a four-shot lead into the final round. With a good start, he had extended his advantage to six through nine holes on Sunday.

But he dropped shots at the 10th, 13th and 14th holes to add a little tension to the proceedings. A birdie at the 15th gave him a four shot cushion with three to play and, despite a brief rain delay, the South Korean 21-year-old was able to close out the victory. He has moved to 15th on the FedEx Cup points list and should be assured a place in the Tour Championship.

“I felt confident this week and I didn’t have any fear to attack the pin,” Kim said. “I was hoping to get into the top-30 on the FedEx list so I’m very happy about that.”

3 Talking points from the Wyndham Championship

1 – At just 21, Kim is the youngest winner on the PGA Tour this season, he was the second youngest winner of this tournament, after Seve Ballesteros who won when he was 20. Kim’s four round total of 259 equalled the Wyndham Championship scoring record set by Carl Pettersson eight years ago. “I never expected these records,” Kim said after the round.

2 – It was a great week for Luke Donald and his fellow European players Rafa Cabrera Bello and Graeme McDowell. Donald finished second on his own and has moved to 48th place in the FedEx Cup rankings. That should give him three starts in the playoffs. “I didn’t realise my jump was going to be that extreme,” Donald said. “Obviously I can now play with a little bit more freedom and go out there and hopefully keep playing the way I played this week.” Cabrera Bello and Graeme McDowell ended the week in a tie for fifth, McDowell is up to 27th on the FedEx Cup standings.

Graeme McDowell on playing the flop shot:

3 – The other key contest played out in the Wyndham was the battle to make the top-125 on the FedEx Cup points list and so qualify for the first playoff event – The Barclays. Whee Kim and Matt Jones, ranked 125 and 124 before the week both dropped out of the qualifiers, after missing the cut. Kyle Stanley and Shawn Stefani played their way in after posting 12-under for the week. Stefani made it in after starting the week ranked 133rd. “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions,” he said.

Wyndham Championship Sedgefield CC, Greensboro, North Carolina Aug 18-21 Purse $5,600,000, par 70

1    Si Woo Kim (Kor)        68    60    64    67    259    $1,008,000 2    Luke Donald (Eng)    65    68    64    67    264    $604,800 T3    Hideki Matsuyama (Jap) 66    64    68    67    265    $324,800 T3    Brandt Snedeker (USA)    65    68    65    67    265    $324,800 T5    Rafa Cabrera Bello (Esp) 63    68    65    70    266    $189,840 T5    Billy Horschel (USA)    66    68    64    68    266    $189,840 T5    Graeme McDowell (NIR) 68    66    64    68    266    $189,840 T5    Brett Stegmaier (USA)    66    67    69    64    266    $189,840 T5    Johnson Wagner (USA)    66    68    65    67    266    $189,840

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?