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Tom Kim’s triumph at the Genesis Scottish Open produced one of the biggest betting payouts of the golf season, with a DraftKings customer collecting more than $4 million after backing the South Korean golfer before the tournament began.
Kim secured the title at 17-under par following a final-round 64 on Sunday. His six-under performance, which was the lowest round among the leaders that day, helped him pull away from the field and finish two strokes ahead of Min Woo Lee, who ended the event at 15-under. The victory marked Kim’s first tournament win since 2023 and came just days before the Open Championship, the final major of the golf calendar, scheduled to take place at Royal Birkdale.
A bettor who placed significant faith in Kim before the tournament reaped a substantial reward. The DraftKings customer wagered $47,700 on Kim to win at long odds and ultimately received a payout of $4,006,800 after the golfer captured the title.
Long Odds Lead to Massive Return
Before the tournament started, bookmakers viewed Kim as a distant contender. According to DraftKings pricing, he entered the week as a +6,200 selection, while FanDuel listed him at +6,500. Those odds implied only a small chance of victory, with estimates placing his winning probability at approximately 1.2%, according to Yahoo Sports.
Kim faced a field packed with highly regarded players. At least 20 golfers were listed with shorter odds than him, while FanDuel’s market showed 23 competitors viewed as more likely winners before play began.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened as the tournament favorite at approximately +495. Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm also ranked among the leading contenders, joined by players such as Ludvig Aberg and Xander Schauffele.
The tournament delivered several surprises. Scheffler failed to reach the weekend after missing the cut on Friday. The result ended a remarkable streak of 78 consecutive PGA Tour cuts made and marked the first time since 2022 that he had missed a cut at a PGA Tour event.
Final-Round Charge Secures Scottish Open Crown
Kim entered the closing day trailing several players but produced a flawless final round without a bogey. His six-under effort proved decisive as none of his closest challengers managed to match his pace over the final 18 holes.
McIlroy also posted a six-under round on Sunday and finished tied for seventh at 12-under overall. Viktor Hovland matched the same final-round score but concluded the tournament tied for 13th at nine-under.
The victory carried importance beyond the tournament trophy. Kim had finished third at the U.S. Open in June and arrived in Scotland ranked 66th in the Official World Golf Rankings. His Scottish Open success significantly improved his standing, lifting him to 33rd in the rankings and moving him closer to his career-best position of No. 11, achieved in October 2023.
The rankings boost reflected the quality of the performance. Kim collected more than 70 Official World Golf Ranking points from the event, the highest points haul of his career. That figure exceeded the points earned from his previous-best ranking performance by roughly 66%.
The win also ended a three-year stretch without a title. At 24 years old, Kim now owns four PGA Tour victories, including the 2022 Wyndham Championship, consecutive Shriners Children’s Open titles in 2022 and 2023, and the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open.
In addition to the ranking gains, Kim received $1.575 million in prize money for winning the tournament.
Focus Shifts to the Open Championship
Attention now turns quickly to the Open Championship, where Kim and the sport’s leading players will compete from July 15-18.
Despite his Scottish Open breakthrough, sportsbooks continue to view him as an outsider. DraftKings lists Kim at +6,200 to win the major, placing him 25th among all contenders and giving him an implied winning chance of 1.6%.
Additional markets assign him a +900 price to finish inside the top five and +415 to secure a top-10 result, with ties included in both wagers.
Scheffler and McIlroy remain the leading choices in Open Championship betting markets, while Rahm heads a group of challengers that includes Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Schauffele.