'Regrettable,' Kim Joo-hyung finishes tied for 5th at PGA Wyndham Championship... Secures spot in FedExCup Playoffs

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Joo-hyung (24) finished the Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season event of the U.S. PGA Tour with a total purse of $8.5 million, in a tie for fifth place, securing his spot in the FedExCup Playoffs.

On the 10th (Korean time), Kim recorded an even-par 70 with three birdies but also took one bogey and one double bogey during the final fourth round at Sedgefield Country Club (par 70) in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Finishing with a total of 15-under-par 265 strokes, Kim tied for fifth alongside Harry Hall of England. He had climbed to a tie for third place, just one shot behind the leaders through the first three rounds, raising expectations for a second victory this season, but failed to close the gap on the final day and missed out on a comeback win.

Kim had built momentum with birdies on the 3rd hole (par 3) and 6th hole (par 4) in the front nine, but the double bogey he made on the 11th hole (par 4) in the back nine was a painful blow. He lost another stroke on the 14th hole (par 4), distancing himself from the title race, but managed to salvage his top-five finish with a birdie on the 15th hole (par 5).

Although he missed the win, Kim achieved his fourth top-10 and third top-5 finish of the season, adding FedExCup points and climbing eight spots in the rankings from 34th to 26th. This result not only secured him a ticket for the first round of the Playoffs (St. Jude Championship), which is open to the top 70 players, but also increased his chances of qualifying for the season finale, the Tour Championship, should he maintain his current standing.

Lim Sung-jae (28), who competed alongside Kim, shot a final round with six birdies and two bogeys, lowering his score by four strokes to finish at 12-under-par 265 total. He tied for 14th place alongside Justin Thomas of the United States and others. Lim also successfully qualified for the first round of the Playoffs, improving his FedExCup ranking from 57th to 53rd.

The championship trophy was claimed by Michael Brennan of the United States, who finished with a total of 22-under-par 258 strokes. Brennan showcased explosive power by birdying five consecutive holes starting from the 4th hole, lowering his score by six strokes in the final round alone to overtake Brooks Koepka (United States, 19-under-par 261) by three shots and claim the $1.53 million (approximately 2.16 billion won) winning prize.

Brennan earned his second career PGA Tour victory in 10 months since last October's Bank of Utah Championship, dramatically climbing from 105th to 47th in the FedExCup rankings to qualify for the Playoffs. According to the PGA, Brennan said in a post-event interview: "I didn't want to end my golf career here. While recent Sunday rounds were somewhat difficult, my overall performance was solid." He added, "I've been competing in six consecutive tournaments, so fatigue has built up, but I am ready to pour all my energy into the Playoffs next week."

Jackson Cowan (United States), a former world amateur number one, finished tied for 29th at 8-under-par 272 strokes, barely holding onto 70th place in the FedExCup rankings to catch the last qualifying spot for the Playoffs. In contrast, Brooks Koepka of the United States, who had been aiming to qualify from 69th place, finished tied for 67th amid putting struggles and failed to make the Playoffs. Koepka expressed his bitterness, stating, "This is a truly embarrassing and disappointing result. I will thoroughly reevaluate my performance."

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*This content was translated by AI.