Tom Kim denies Min Woo Lee in a one-shot Scottish Open finish

Tom Kim won the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in Scotland on Sunday, finishing at 17 under after a bogey-free final-round 64. Australian contender Min Woo Lee pushed Kim to the closing holes and finished one shot behind after moving to 15 under with a birdie at the 14th.

The result ended Kim's PGA Tour winless run of nearly three years and denied Lee a second Scottish Open title. It also completed a hectic final day shaped by Saturday's dense sea fog, which forced leading players to finish their third rounds before beginning the final 18 holes.

The Full Story

Saturday's third round was interrupted twice by a haar, the cold and wet sea fog that can roll from the North Sea across Scotland's eastern coast. Play was initially stopped at 10:45am local time, resumed after more than two hours and was suspended again at 7:55pm when visibility deteriorated. The disruption left much of the field facing a marathon Sunday at North Berwick.

When the delayed third round was completed early Sunday, Lee shared the lead at 12 under with Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre. The Australian had already shown patience through the interruption, recovering from an opening bogey during his partial third round with birdies at the third, fifth and seventh holes.

Kim began the final round one stroke behind the leaders but quickly moved ahead. Two birdies in his opening four holes took him to 13 under, before another at the 10th created a two-shot advantage over Lee and Fitzpatrick. He later stretched the margin to three with six holes remaining.

Lee refused to disappear. His birdie at the 14th reduced Kim's lead to one, placing the Australian within a single swing of reclaiming the championship he won in 2021. Kim responded at the difficult par-four 16th, hitting his approach to six feet and making the birdie that restored a two-shot cushion. He completed the only bogey-free final round of the day and secured his fourth PGA Tour victory, according to Golfweek's live tournament coverage.

Key Figures

Tom Kim entered the final round chasing his first PGA Tour victory in nearly three years. His closing 64 matched the lowest score of the day and carried him from one behind to the title at 17 under.

Min Woo Lee, the 2021 Scottish Open champion, began the final round tied for the lead. The 27-year-old remained Kim's closest challenger late in the day and finished one stroke short of regaining the trophy.

Matt Fitzpatrick shared the overnight lead during the interrupted third round and moved back into a tie for first with a birdie at the fifth during the final round. Robert MacIntyre, the 2024 champion, briefly held the outright lead after birdieing the opening hole as Fitzpatrick bogeyed the second.

Rory McIlroy had shared the 36-hole lead but fell six shots behind after a three-over third round. He began the final round with three birdies in four holes, although the early surge did not bring him back into the decisive contest.

Facts & Figures

• Kim's winning score was 17 under par.
• He closed with a six-under 64 and made no bogeys.
• The victory was Kim's fourth PGA Tour title.
• The tournament carried a US$9 million prize fund, with US$1.62 million allocated to the winner.
• Fifteen players had been separated by only three shots when fog stopped Saturday's play.
• The final round followed the completion of the delayed third round on Sunday morning.

What This Means

For Australian golf followers, Lee's runner-up finish is encouraging and frustrating in equal measure. He stayed composed through two fog suspensions, shared the lead entering the final round and remained close enough to pressure Kim deep into the back nine.

Lee's performance also carries weight because the Scottish Open is played immediately before The Open Championship. Links golf demands creative shot-making and rapid adjustment to wind, cold and changing ground conditions. Lee's ability to contend through those variables gives Australian fans a genuine form line rather than a result built under calm, predictable conditions.

Kim's victory was shaped by control rather than a single spectacular burst. His clean scorecard mattered because the chasing group remained tightly packed, and his approach at the 16th converted a vulnerable one-shot lead into breathing room. That response separated him from a field that had little margin for error.

What to Expect

The players now turn their attention to The Open Championship, the final men's major of the year. The Scottish Open winner receives entry to the 2026 Open Championship if not already qualified and an invitation to the 2027 Masters.

Lee will arrive at the next event carrying the momentum of a runner-up finish and the disappointment of coming within one shot. Kim moves on with his first victory in almost three years and evidence that his game held up under a compressed schedule, difficult coastal weather and sustained pressure.