Siwoo Kim Cards Double Bogey on 14th, Misses Out on Victory Opportunity

3-over-par in Final Round, Tied for 8th at RBC Heritage
Led by One Stroke After Three Rounds, Misses Out on Fifth Career Victory
Thomas Wins in Playoff for 16th Career Title, Novak Finishes Runner-up

Siwoo Kim was unable to capitalize on his chance to win.

On April 20 (local time), at the Harbour Town Golf Links (par 71, 7,213 yards) in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Siwoo Kim shot a 3-over-par 74 in the final round of the PGA Tour RBC Heritage (total prize money $20 million), finishing tied for 8th place at 12-under-par 272. This marks his first top-10 finish of the year.

Siwoo Kim is teeing off at the 6th hole of the 4th round of the RBC Heritage. Hilton Head Island=AFP Yonhap News Photo by AFP

Kim had led by one stroke until the previous day, raising hopes for his fifth career victory since the Sony Open in January 2023, but shaky tee shots prevented him from reaching the top. This tournament is one of eight PGA Tour Signature Events held each year. Only 72 players participated, including the top 50 from last season's FedExCup standings, this year's tour winners, and players ranked within the top 30 in the world.

Kim recorded two birdies, three bogeys, and one double bogey. He offset a bogey on the 3rd hole with a birdie on the 9th (both par 4), but his game faltered sharply on the back nine. He dropped two shots with bogeys on the 10th and 12th holes, then found the bunker off the tee on the par-3 14th, leading to a double bogey and falling out of contention. Although he gained a stroke on the par-4 16th, there were not enough holes left to recover.

Justin Thomas is cheering after securing a playoff victory at the RBC Heritage. Hilton Head Island=AFP Yonhap News Photo by AFP

Justin Thomas carded a 3-under-par 68 to tie Andrew Novak (both from the United States) at 17-under-par 267, then clinched victory with a birdie on the first playoff hole at the par-4 18th. This marks his 16th career win and his first since the PGA Championship, a major tournament, in May 2022?a span of three years. The winner's prize is $3.6 million (approximately 5.1 billion KRW). Novak was seeking his first win in his 99th PGA Tour event but was unable to overcome Thomas.

World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler (United States) also finished tied for 8th. Among Korean players, Sungjae Im shot a 4-under-par 67 to climb to a tie for 11th at 11-under-par 273. After this tournament, he boarded a flight to compete in the KPGA Tour Woori Financial Championship in Korea. Byeonghun An finished tied for 38th at 6-under-par 278, while last week's Masters runner-up Justin Rose (England) ended in a tie for 42nd at 5-under-par 279.