'First Win of the New Year' Kim Siwoo "I Want to Win More" (Comprehensive)

Interview Immediately After Securing 4th Career Win at Sony Open

"I want to add more wins."

This is the strong confidence of newlywed Kim Si-woo. On the 15th (local time), right after completing a come-from-behind victory (18-under 262) at the Sony Open (total prize money $7.9 million) of the 2022/2023 PGA Tour season held at Waialae Country Club (par 70, 7,044 yards) in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, Kim Si-woo exclaimed, "It couldn't be better," and said, "I'm very happy."

Kim Si-woo is holding the trophy and kissing it right after his come-from-behind victory at the Sony Open. Hawaii=Photo by AP·Yonhap News

Starting from a tie for 5th place, 3 strokes behind, Kim Si-woo staged a ‘comeback show.’ This is his 4th career win, two years after winning the American Express in January 2021, with a winner’s prize of $1,422,000 (about 1.76 billion KRW). The victory was especially meaningful as Kim Si-woo won after marrying Oh Ji-hyun, a 7-time champion on the Korean LPGA (KLPGA) Tour, last December. It was his first tournament and first win after marriage this year.

Kim Si-woo said, "I was 3 strokes behind until the 3rd round, but I thought anything could happen on the last day, so I gave my best on every shot," and added, "Playing confidently led to a good result."

When Hayden Buckley (USA), who was competing for the lead, made a birdie on the 16th hole (par 4) to pull ahead by one stroke, Kim Si-woo immediately made a chip-in birdie on the 17th hole (par 3) to tie. Kim recalled, "I heard cheers on the 16th hole. It was not an easy situation, but I thought I had nothing to lose, so I played an aggressive shot, and it went in."

Kim Si-woo will compete in the American Express (total prize money $8 million) in La Quinta, California, USA, for four days starting on the 19th. It is the ‘promised land’ where he earned his 3rd career win two years ago. Kim said, "There are many tournaments left this year," and emphasized, "I want to be more confident and add more wins."

- How do you feel about the victory?

▲ I'm happy to have 4 wins. The first two wins came quickly, but the third took some time. The fourth also took a bit, but I'm glad to win the first tournament of the new year.

- The Sony Open is a tournament that K.J. Choi won in 2008.

▲ Like the 2017 Players Championship, it seems I am following in the footsteps of K.J. Choi, who won these tournaments. Since K.J. Choi has many wins, I think this is a good thing for me.

- You won your first tournament after marriage.

▲ I'm thankful my wife came with me to the tournament. I was sorry I couldn't be with her during the wedding preparations because I was in the US.

- How have you been since marriage?

▲ I came to Dallas, where our home is, and rested for about 1 or 2 weeks without holding a club. Last week, we came to Hawaii for our honeymoon, and we spent time like a trip, eating delicious food together without stress.

- Does having your wife at the tournament help?

▲ It gives me a lot of strength. Even in tense situations, seeing her walk with me made me smile and helped me relax.

- You had no wins last year.

▲ It was a disappointing year without wins. However, getting the chance to participate in the Presidents Cup and compete with great players was an opportunity for growth.

- Your determination for next week's tournament?

▲ The American Express is the tournament I won in 2021, and if the fans keep supporting me, I will do my best in next week’s tournament as well.