PGA Tour four-time winner Kim Si-woo and Shin Sang-hoon, the leading points-earner on the KPGA Tour, both finished tied for 4th place at the Genesis Championship (total purse $4 million), co-sanctioned by the KPGA and the DP World Tour.

On the 25th, Kim Si-woo shot an even-par 71 in the final fourth round of the tournament held at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club (par 71) in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

Finishing with a final score of 10-under 274, Kim shared fourth place alongside Shin Sang-hoon and others. He finished three strokes behind tournament champion Yuto Katsuragawa of Japan (13-under 271).

Currently ranked 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking—the highest among South Korean players—and boasting four PGA Tour titles, Kim has not tasted victory on any tour since the Sony Open in January 2023. Starting the tournament strongly by tying for 3rd place on the opening day, he continued to contend near the top, raising hopes of quenching his thirst for a win. However, failing to lower his score on the final day, his bid for the title was postponed to another time.

It was also an opportunity for him to lift a trophy in front of Korean fans for the first time since passing the PGA Tour qualifying school in December 2012 and moving his career to the U.S. stage, but that milestone remained unachieved.

Entering the final round in a tie for 3rd, three shots behind leader Katsuragawa, Kim struggled in the front nine of the championship pairing. He bounced back from a bogey on the 4th hole (par 3) with a birdie on the 5th hole (par 5), but dropped another shot on the 7th hole (par 3) and carded a three-putt bogey on the 9th hole (par 4). Losing two strokes on the front nine alone, he fell six shots behind Katsuragawa.

Kim showed signs of a back-nine resurgence by sinking a monster birdie putt of over 12 meters on the 12th hole (par 4) and another birdie from about 8 meters on the 15th hole (par 4), but it fell short of turning the tide.

Shin Sang-hoon also secured a tie for 4th, earning the best result among KPGA Tour players in the tournament and solidifying his position at the top of the Genesis Points standings with 5,255 points. His prize money ranking rose to 2nd place (65,067,000 won). Additionally, Shin earned a ticket to next year’s Genesis Scottish Open, awarded to the top-performing KPGA Tour player in the event. The Scottish Open is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

Like Kim, Shin—who was tied for 3rd entering the final round—shaved a stroke off the front nine with a birdie on the 5th hole (par 5), but regretted dropping a stroke on the back nine, which included a costly double bogey on the 15th hole (par 4).

Katsuragawa, who surged to the lead after firing an 8-under in the third round, did not lower his score on the final day but still secured the title by a two-stroke margin over co-runners-up Frédéric Lacroix and Martin Couvra of France (both at 11-under 273).

With this victory, Katsuragawa claimed his second career DP World Tour title, two and a half years after his win at the ISPS Handa Championship in April 2024, and etched his name in history as the first foreign winner of the Genesis Championship. The winner’s prize for the tournament is approximately 900 million won.

Prior to this tournament, Katsuragawa sat outside the top 100 in the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings, but the victory propelled him up to 28th, securing his spot in the playoffs and earning a two-year tour exemption.

"I had many painful moments after my first win and felt a heavy burden in every tournament, so I am relieved and happy to claim my second victory," Katsuragawa said in his remarks. "With tour status on the line, it was impossible to let my guard down, but I'm glad I managed to hold the lead until the end." He added, "Since I’ve secured a two-year exemption, my goal is to dedicate myself to the DP World Tour and eventually advance to the PGA Tour."

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Genesis Championship has been co-hosted by the KPGA and DP World Tour starting in 2024. A total of 126 players, including 36 from the KPGA Tour, competed over four days starting on the 22nd.

Among other notable Koreans, Bae Yong-joon finished tied for 13th (8-under 276), Lee Sang-hee tied for 17th (7-under 277), and Park Jung-hoon and Park Il-hwan shared 22nd place (6-under 278). Jang Yu-bin finished tied for 45th (2-under 282), while PGA Tour regular Im Sung-jae dropped a shot in the final round to finish tied for 54th (even-par 284).

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