PLAYER PROFILE · PGA TOUR
Si Woo Kim is one of South Korea’s most accomplished golfers — a four-time PGA Tour winner who captured The Players Championship at just 21, and who reminded the game of his class with a top-six finish at the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
| Full name | Kim Si-woo (김시우) |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 June 1995, Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Turned pro | 2012 |
| Primary tour | PGA Tour |
| Height | 5′ 11″ (1.80 m) |
| Major championships | None (T6, 2026 Open) |
| PGA Tour wins | 4 — incl. 2017 Players Championship |
The Teenage Tour Card
Si Woo Kim was in a hurry from the start. Born in Seoul in 1995, he turned professional in 2012 and earned his PGA Tour card while still a teenager — at the time one of the youngest players ever to do so through the tour’s qualifying process. It was a statement of both talent and nerve, a young man backing himself against seasoned professionals a decade or more his senior.
The early years were a grounding. He learned the American game the hard way, on unfamiliar courses far from home, before the breakthroughs began to arrive with startling speed.
The Youngest Players Champion
Kim’s maiden PGA Tour victory came at the 2016 Wyndham Championship. But it was the following spring that he wrote his name into the record books, winning the 2017 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass at 21 years and 214 days — the youngest champion in the history of the tour’s flagship event. On one of the most demanding stages in the sport, against the strongest field of the year, the young Korean held his nerve where more experienced players wilted.
He was not finished. The 2021 American Express and the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii followed, taking him to four PGA Tour titles and confirming that the Sawgrass win was no youthful aberration but the mark of a genuine winner.
Contention at Royal Birkdale
For all his success in America, the major championships had largely eluded Kim — until Royal Birkdale. At the 2026 Open Championship he played his way into the thick of the argument, ultimately tying for sixth as Ryan Fox took the Claret Jug. It was comfortably his finest performance in a major, and a reminder that a player who peaks on the game’s biggest weeks should never be discounted when the stakes are highest.
That week sat alongside his standing as one of the cornerstones of a golden era of Korean golf — a group that has carried the International team’s hopes at the Presidents Cup and, in Kim’s case, added a team gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.
A Ball-Striker’s Game
Kim’s golf is built on quality iron play and a competitor’s calm — the qualities that let a 21-year-old close out The Players and a thirty-year-old contend at an Open. He is not the longest, nor the most demonstrative; his edge is precision and an unshowy toughness that tends to surface when the golf course bites back.
Now in his prime, with a Players Championship already secured and a genuine major near-miss behind him, Si Woo Kim remains one of the most respected and dangerous players Korea has produced — and a strong bet to be in the mix the next time a major reaches its Sunday crescendo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Si Woo Kim won a major championship?
Not yet. Si Woo Kim’s best major finish is a tie for sixth at the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He has, however, won The Players Championship — often called golf’s ‘fifth major’ — which he claimed in 2017 at the age of 21.
How old is Si Woo Kim and where is he from?
Kim was born on 28 June 1995 in Seoul, South Korea, and turned professional in 2012. He earned his PGA Tour card as a teenager, becoming at the time one of the youngest players ever to do so.
What is Si Woo Kim’s biggest win?
The 2017 Players Championship. At 21 years and 214 days, Kim became the youngest winner in the event’s history, closing out TPC Sawgrass to announce himself as one of South Korea’s most gifted golfers.
How many PGA Tour titles does Si Woo Kim have?
Kim has four PGA Tour victories, including the 2016 Wyndham Championship, the 2017 Players Championship, the 2021 American Express and the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii — a record that spans the full breadth of the American season.
Has Si Woo Kim played in the Presidents Cup?
Yes. Kim has represented the International team at multiple Presidents Cups, and won a team gold medal for South Korea at the 2022 Asian Games. He is one of the cornerstones of a golden generation of Korean golf.