Tom Kim’s career blip looks to be over after he claimed the Genesis Scottish Open at the weekend – a timely lift ahead of this week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

The Korean, winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit four years ago, fired a final round six-under-par 64 for a two shot-victory over Australia’s Min Woo Lee.

The victory, at The Renaissance Club, was his maiden title on the DP World Tour and first win in three years.

Kim shot to prominence on the Asian Tour in 2019 by winning three events on the Tour’s feeder circuit, the Asian Development Tour. It earned him a battlefield promotion onto the main Tour, where he claimed the Panasonic Open India – remarkably, in the same year. He was just 17 years old at the time.

The global pandemic temporarily halted his rise but when play resumed on the Asian Tour at the end of 2021 he quickly picked up where he left off by winning the Singapore International in January of the following season, enroute to lifting the Merit title.

Later in 2022, he won for the first time on the PGA Tour, first at the Wyndham Championship and then the Shriners Children’s Open – which he also claimed the following season.

Tom Kim holds the trophy following victory at the Genesis Scottish Open. Picture by Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

He was arguably the hottest young property in the game before a loss of confidence saw him tumble down the world rankings.

He was just outside the top 150 over a month ago, shortly before he finished third at the US Open, signaling a revival was on the cards.

“I can’t really wrap my mind over it,” said an emotional Kim. “It’s really special and I’m just at a loss for words.

“Obviously I’ve had a tough couple years. I got to taste a lot of that humble pie, and I got to really learn about myself and I’m still trying to grow, still trying to learn.

“I’m definitely appreciating this more now than I did a couple years ago, which is really cool. I thought about my family, all the people around my corner that have suffered with me and also celebrated with me and kind of remembering all those people really brought tears to my eyes.”

The 24-year-old also said American Tiger Woods, one of his team-mates on TGL Golf League, was one of the first to congratulate him.

During his meteoric rise to the top a few years ago he also tied for third at The Open in 2023, and after his performance at the weekend he will be among the favourites at Royal Birkdale, where nine Asian Tour members are competing.