'Waited two years,' Kim Ju-hyung finally breaks into the top 5 at the U.S. Open... World ranking soars vertically from 141st to 64th [PGA]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ju-hyung (24, Nike Golf) climbed back into the top five for the first time in two years, raising expectations for a comeback.

On the 22nd (Korean time), Kim recorded four birdies and four bogeys in the final fourth round of the 126th U.S. Open, the season's third major tournament with a total purse of $22.5 million, held at Cinqueco Hills Golf Club (par 70) in Southampton, New York, USA, finishing at even par.

Finishing with a total of 279 strokes, one under par, Kim secured sole third place behind Wyndham Clark (276 strokes, four under par) and Sam Burns (277 strokes, three under par), both from the United States.

Although Kim had attracted significant attention for achieving three career victories at a young age, he experienced ups and downs. His last top-five finish in an official PGA Tour event was at the 2024 Travelers Championship, where he finished as runner-up after a dramatic playoff against world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States.

He finished eighth at the 2024 Paris Olympics held in August that year and also secured runner-up finishes in the unofficial Hero World Challenge and the Grant Thornton Invitational in December, but suffered severe slumps last year.

Admitting in February last year that he was struggling with "mental issues" due to slow-play penalties, he experienced ups and downs last year, possibly due to that impact. He participated in 26 tournaments, missing the cut nine times, and reached the top 10 only once. As a result, he failed to secure entry into major tournaments this season, enduring a difficult period.

Even this season, he had participated in 15 tournaments before this event, with his best result being a tie for sixth at the Myrtle Beach Classic last month. That was his only top-10 finish.

This time, everything changed. He played under par even at Cinqueco Hills Golf Club, notorious as a difficult course.

Starting the first round tied for 16th at even par, Kim moved up to second place in the second round by cutting three strokes. In the third round, he lost two strokes but held onto second place, heading into the final round today.

Starting the final round in second place, seven strokes behind the leader, Kim began with a bogey on the first hole (par 4) but secured a birdie on the third hole (par 4). He then alternated between bogeys and birdies, ultimately failing to reduce his total score further.

Nevertheless, he was one of only three players to play under par, surpassing his previous best U.S. Open finish of tied eighth in 2023.

Additionally, in the men's world golf rankings released today, Kim recorded 1.8131 ranking points, jumping 77 spots vertically from last week's 141st place to 64th. This is the second-highest ranking among Korean players, behind Kim Si-woo (21st).

This year is particularly important for Kim Ju-hyung, as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are scheduled for September. He recalls winning the team gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which allowed Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo to resolve their military service issues. To continue competing on the PGA Tour, winning a gold medal at the Asian Games is essential.

During the Hangzhou Asian Games, Kim held the highest world ranking among Korean players, but he had to swallow his disappointment as the athletes selected before the tournament was delayed by a year retained their qualification.

He had been stuck outside the top 100 in the world rankings, but when top-ranked players declined to participate, an opportunity came his way. If he can build on this momentum starting today, he appears capable of aiming for the gold medal.

Meanwhile, Wyndham Clark of the United States, who won the U.S. Open, jumped from 34th to 8th in the world rankings.

Scheffler, who tied for fourth in this tournament, retained the No. 1 ranking with 16.5682 points. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who finished tied for 32nd, moved to second place, while Cameron Young (United States), Matt Fitzpatrick (England), and Russell Henley (United States) occupy positions three through five.

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*This content was translated by AI.