Kim Si-woo ties for 6th at Open Championship for career-best finish at major

Kim Si-woo drives on the 15th hole at the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport, Sunday, July 19. UPI-Yonhap

Kim Si-woo has fallen short of his maiden major title in men's golf, settling instead for his career-best finish after faltering down the stretch in England.

Kim tied for sixth place at the 154th Open Championship with a four-round total of six-under 274 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, on Sunday (local time). The 31-year-old South Korean ended up four strokes behind the champion, Ryan Fox of New Zealand.

Kim shot a two-over 72 in the final round with two birdies against four bogeys, with all four of them coming on the back nine. He had shot 68-67-67 over the first three rounds to put himself two shots back of the 54-hole leader, Sam Burns of the United States, at eight-under entering the final day.

Playing in the penultimate pairing with Ryan Gerard of the United States in the final round, Kim reached 10-under with back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes. He found himself leading the championship by one shot at the turn.

Kim, though, played himself out of contention with bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes.

He sent his tee shot into a bunker and needed three shots to reach the 11th green, where he two-putted for a bogey. Then on the par-3 12th, Kim missed the green and then a 15-footer for par.

Kim fell two shots off the lead with a bogey on the 16th. And after failing to sink a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th, Kim carded another bogey on the par-4 18th.

Kim has been one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour this year. He leads the tour with 357 birdies in 2026 and is tied with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the most top-10 finishes this year with 10.

Success at major championships has eluded Kim, who had just one previous top-10 finish in 37 starts — a tie for eighth at last year's PGA Championship — before this year's Open Championship.

After the final major of the season, Kim rose three spots to No. 18 in the world rankings to match his career high. He first reached No. 18 in June this year after tying for 10th place at the Memorial Tournament.

Another Korean player, Im Sung-jae, tied for 14th at four-under 276. Im jumped from 86th to 77th in the world rankings.

Tom Kim, who won the Scottish Open last week, missed the cut at Royal Birkdale. He slipped from 33rd to 34th in the rankings.