Si Woo Kim now has four wins on the PGA Tour, the most recent came Sunday after he birdied the last two holes to snatch victory away from Hayden Buckley.
Kim started the day three shots off the lead and posted his second 64 of the weekend to charge up the leaderboard. Playing a group ahead, he watched as Buckley failed to get up-and-down on the last hole to post a birdie that would’ve forced a playoff.
The 27-year-old Korean, who calls Dallas home these days, claimed to be a “little shaky” over the last four holes but also “was trying to get confidence and keep calm.”
No doubt the shot of the week was the chip-in for birdie on the par-3 17th hole, which came just moments after Buckley birdied the 16th.
SI WOO HIM 🔥
An incredible chip-in from Si Woo Kim answering @HBuckley13’s birdie @SonyOpenHawaii. pic.twitter.com/0cgRc3cfKD
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 16, 2023
“Right before that, I heard a noise and I knew he made it, so it was kind of tough lie into the greens, so I had to hit aggressive,” Kim said. “So I just hit it aggressive and goes in. Yeah, it was exciting.”
From Sunday’s post-round news conference, here’s everything Si Woo Kim said after winning the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii.
Q: Getting this victory so early in the year, what does this do for the attitude as you move forward?
SWK: It’s like first time winning like first event, so I think this is, can’t be better than this. So this is really exciting, and hopefully a lot of the seasons left. Hopefully trying to get more confidence and then like hopefully get more wins.
Q: You start the day 12-under par, three shots back. Shoot 64. How good did you play today?
SWK: It was feel great and then like first three holes like was on fire. … So knew it’s going to be like chance to winning, so I just trying to kept calm, and calm was like little like less back nine, but I was keep trying to calm. Was lucky chip on 17. I think that helps; 18 got more confidence. Was really comfortable on the last hole.
Q: Tell us about 17. I thought you drew a pretty good lie off the back of the green there.
SWK: No, it was like not as rough much, but like into the green have to be like carry on the green so it was little tricky. But I knew it, he made a birdie. I heard the noise so I have to hit it aggressive. So I have nothing to lose, so I just hit it aggressive.
Q: The bunker shot at 18 out the fairway bunker, that was a really good shot, too.
SWK: I’ve been there like yesterday, like pretty much ten yards farther, so I knew how to hit it and I knew how like bunker feel was there. So I think that makes me more like comfortable, and then, yeah, I just hit the great shot.
Q: How special was this? Your wife is here? She was here to give a big hug and kiss. K.H. came out. Ben An. How special is this one?
SWK: I like all the Korean players, so we win a lot of like last couple years, so we helping more trying to get more motivation. So I think that really helps for all the Korean players see each other. And then, yeah, my wife here, feel like we’re honeymoon because we came here another early last week. Yeah, it was everything comfortable.
