Si Woo Kim made bogey on No. 10 at TPC Scottsdale to begin his second round of the 2026 WM Phoenix Open on Friday, which dropped him to 3 over for the tournament, well outside the projected cutline after his 2-over 73 in Thursday’s first round.
It looked as if Kim, who has played excellent golf so far this season, would be packing his bags and watching the weekend action at The People’s Open from his couch. Instead, he went on to make an eagle and eight birdies en route to a 9-under 62, vaulting himself from the very bottom of the leaderboard into the top five and well-positioned to make a run at his fifth career PGA Tour victory.
Si Woo Kim waves after making a putt on the 16th hole during the second round of the 2026 WM Phoenix Open.
“I was struggling a little with the irons yesterday,” Kim told reporters after his impressive round Friday. “I was just scared to hit the ground, worried about too much chunk, fat [shots]. So I was just trying to make good contact and it came out great on a couple shots, making me comfortable for the rest of the round. I think that just kept going and it worked great.”
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Indeed it did, Si Woo. The 30-year-old from South Korea erased his early bogey with a birdie at the par-3 12th before reaching the green with his second shot on the par-5 13th and draining a 27-footer for eagle. From there, he was off to the races, making three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17, much to the delight of the massive and rowdy crowd that often camps out around those holes.
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“It’s always fun to play the back nine [at TPC Scottsdale],” Kim said. “When you start back nine first, it feels a little boring on the front nine, so it’s a lot of fun [to start on the back]. Made a good birdie on 16 which was fun, too.”
While it might have been boring for him, the front nine was quite exciting for his scorecard. Kim made back-to-back birdies at holes two and three and another one at the sixth before capping off his day with a birdie at the ninth.
So, Kim will play the weekend yet again in 2026, which is already taking shape as one of the best of his career. He finished tied for 11th in the PGA Tour opener at the Sony Open in Hawaii before a T-6 at the American Express and a T-4 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open last week. He’s fourth on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: On Approach and sixth in driving accuracy. He’s even fifth on the season’s money list without having won a tournament yet.
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That last point is the big issue, though. A win is something has eluded Kim for more than three years. His last one came at the 2023 Sony Open and he’s flirted with victory several times since then, but has been unable to close the deal. Kim thinks feeling the pressure of being in contention at so many events early on bodes well for him moving forward this season.
“I had a great start season in the first three [events], so it helps me [get the] nerves going and that helps make comfortable for the rest of the season. I think I was too comfortable yesterday and that helps me get a little fire going.”
After two rounds, Kim is primed contend for a fourth time in as many starts in 2026 at the Phoenix Open this week, where he’ll look to replicate the rhythm he found on Friday and hoist a trophy on Super Bowl Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: WM Phoenix Open 2026: Si Woo Kim fires 62 Friday, continues hot streak
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