"Was a lucky chip" - Si Woo Kim on his clutch shot to win the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii

Si Woo Kim won his fourth PGA Tour title on Sunday after hitting a birdie on the 18th hole in the fourth round of the 2023 Sony Open. After the third round, he was on at T5, while Hayden Buckley was on top.

Both started on Sunday with birdies on their first holes, but things changed later in the tournament. The South Korean star went on to make birdies on the second and third holes, but Hayden missed nine consecutive shots.

The game turned in Kim's favor after his fabulous performances in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth holes.

As Kim headed towards victory, the American golfer returned with a bogey on the 11th hole, followed by a birdie on the 12th.

Kim also had a birdie on the 12th hole but missed a shot on the next four holes. Meanwhile, Buckley shot a birdie on the 14th and 16th holes, and the game turned in his favor.

With two more holes remaining, Si Woo Kim answered back with a birdie on the 17th and matched Hayden's score. With one hole remaining, Buckley missed the shot, and Kim made a birdie, winning the tournament with one shot.

Si Woo Kim clinched the trophy in the final round and won the winner's share of the purse of $7 million. Speaking about his match, Kim said:

"I just trying to kept calm, and calm was like little like less back nine, but I was keep trying to calm."

His timely chip for a birdie on the 17th hole helped him win the trophy. Kim said:

"Was a lucky chip."

Hayden Buckley, who took the lead after the third round, finished second, while Chris Kirk secured the third position at the 2023 Sony Cup in Hawaii.

---

"I had nothing to lose" - Si Woo Kim talks about his victory

Kim played his best golf on Sunday at the 2023 Sony Open. The day started when the Korean was on T5. With birdies on the last two holes, Kim lifted the trophy of the championship in Hawaii.

He later spoke about his performance in an interview with the media. The star golfer said:

"Right before that I heard the noise, I knew he made it,” Kim said of Buckley’s birdie putt at 16. “It was a tough lie — into the grain — so I had to be aggressive and I had nothing to lose and it went in."

Hayden Buckley, who finished second, also talked about the match. He admitted that winning on the PGA Tour is the hardest. The golfers said:

"Winning on the PGA Tour is the hardest thing to do, and sometimes you just get beat,” Buckley said. “I feel like that’s what happened today."

Chris Kirk, who registered his lead on Friday, finished second in the championship. Andrew Putnam, Davis Lipsky, and Ben Taylor finished T4. The seventh spot is jointly shared by five golfers, including Aaron Baddeley, Matt Kuchar, Maverick McNealy, Nate Lashley, and Nick Taylor. Seven players finished at T12, while six finished at T21.