LA QUINTA, Calif. – Si Woo Kim left the Coachella Valley a year ago with his back aching again and his golf game in disarray.
This past week, the 25-year-old South Korean returned healthy and with rock-solid mentality that didn’t even waver when Patrick Cantlay threatened to run away with The American Express.
Kim birdied two of the final three holes to finish an 8-under-par 64 Sunday, coolly rallying past the late-charging Cantlay by one shot to earn his third PGA Tour victory.
A year after Kim shot a 15-over 87 in the first round and quickly withdrew from this event because of his persistent back problems, he began the final round with a share of the lead atop a crowded board. He endured a restless night as he prepared to chase his first win since The Players Championship in 2017, a string of 102 straight starts without a victory.
Kim acknowledged he watched the leaderboard while he played. Six groups ahead of him, Cantlay shot a 61 and surged out of 13th place to the front while breaking the PGA West Stadium Course record by two strokes.