'Personal Best Ranking Achieved' Kim Si-woo Reaches World No. 19... A Remarkable 'Five-Step Jump'

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Si-woo (31), who finished as runner-up with regret at the moreCJ Cup, has broken through the world ranking barrier of the top 20 and finally soared to 19th place.

According to the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) released on the 26th (Korea time), Kim Si-woo moved up five spots from his previous 24th place to secure the 19th position. Based on his consistent performance and explosive game, he has entered the world's top 20 for the first time in his career.

On the 25th, Kim Si-woo shot a 6-under-par 65 with seven birdies and one bogey in the final fourth round of the PGA Tour's moreCJ Cup Byron Nelson (total purse $10.3 million) held at TPC Craig Ranch, a par-71 course in McKinney, Texas, USA. Finishing with a total of 27-under-par 257, Kim Si-woo surrendered the victory to Windham Clark (USA) and secured a runner-up finish with a three-stroke margin.

Kim Si-woo, who had led alone by two strokes over the joint second-place players through the third round, aimed to capture his fifth career title for the first time since the Sony Open in January 2023, but could not withstand Clark's fierce charge of 11-under-par on the final day. Additionally, the record for the first Korean winner of the moreCJ Cup, established since its inception in 2017, was postponed to a future opportunity.

Although he suffered a comeback defeat, it served as a solid stepping stone to elevate his world ranking to 19th. Following his runner-up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open in February, Kim Si-woo achieved his second second-place result of the season. He also demonstrated his prowess by setting a new personal record for the fewest strokes over 72 holes since joining the PGA Tour, shaving two strokes off the 21st-under-par 259 he set during his 2016 Wyndham Championship victory.

In this latest release, the rankings from first to tenth, which dominate the world golf scene, remained unchanged. Scottie Scheffler (USA) retained the top spot, while Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Cameron Young (USA) secured second and third place respectively, solidifying the world's top three structure.

Meanwhile, the rise in rankings of South Korean players within the top 100 of the world rankings is also noticeable. Im Sung-jae, who finished joint ninth at the moreCJ Cup and successfully entered the top 10 for the third time this season, was ranked 68th, moving up four spots from his previous 72nd place.

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*This content was translated by AI.