The final event of the two-tournament PGA Tour swing in Paradise ended Sunday with the 25th anniversary of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Si Woo Kim, who finished his final round with back-to-back birdies, won the fourth PGA Tour event of his career with a 72-hole score of 18-under par.
Kim chipped in for birdie despite not landing on the green on the par-3 17th hole to get back to tie ballgame, moments after Hayden Buckley made a birdie on the par-4 16th. As a result, the tournament would come down to the par-5 18th hole as Kim was one group ahead of Buckley.
Despite landing in the fairway bunker, Kim executed his shot onto the green and was able to two-putt for birdie before Buckley took his shot on the hole.
Buckley, who landed in his tee shot on the edge of the rough, gave himself a tough chip shot and ultimately missed an 11-foot birdie putt that would have tied Kim and forced a playoff.
Only one player who appeared in last week’s rankings played at the Sony Open, so there is not much change this week.
Related: Top 10 PGA Tour players after last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions
Here are this week’s rankings.
10. Si Woo Kim
The emotions from Si Woo Kim came late as his shots in and around the green started to fall, including his birdie chip on hole No. 17. The winning formula for a victory was once again on display as Kim shot a 6-under 64 in his final round on Sunday.
With the victory, Kim receives the winning prize of $1.4 million and 500 FedEx Cup points, which vaults him to the No. 8 spot in the standings. Kim also secures a spot in next year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions.
In addition, Kim receives another year of exemption through the 2025 PGA Tour season as his exemption for winning the Players Championship in 2017 expires next year.
Kim, who now prepares for next week’s American Express, is now halfway to K.J. Choi’s eight PGA Tour titles for the most Tour victories among Koreans.
9. Will Zalatoris
Will Zalatoris is coming off of a Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, where he did not expect too much in his return recovering from two herniated disc surgeries.
This week off, in addition to
The rest he received this past week will help him prepare for the stacked American Express, which begins Thursday in La Quinta, Calif.
8. Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay moves up a spot after a solid performance in Kapalua earlier this month. The Sentry Tournament of Champions was just his third tournament of his season after competing in the President’s Cup and placing in a tie for second at the Shriners Children’s Open in October.
7. Tony Finau
Tony Finau, who already has a win under his belt this season, recorded a top-10 finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champion and is currently the No. 12 in the world rankings.
Finau will head into the American Express in the No. 10 spot in the FedEx Cup Standings.
6. Max Homa
Like Finau, Homa has a victory that came during the fall swing. Homa, who is currently second in the standings, finished inside the top five at Kapalua.
Homa is in the midst of a rest period lasting a couple of weeks off before teeing it off in San Diego for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course from Jan. 25-29.
5. Matt Fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick did not play at the Sony Open and is not committed to this week’s American Express, like Homa.
The next time we will most likely see Fitzpatrick on the course is at the next elevated event is set for the Waste Management Phoenix Open Feb. 9-12 as he is under the umbrella of the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program (PIP).
4. Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa, who looked like he returned to the form that won the U.S. Open in 2020 after the first three rounds last week at Kapalua, ultimately collapsed.
Morikawa has since looked to turn the page and will compete in the Famers Insurance Open at the end of the month
3. Rory McIlroy
The reigning FedEx Cup winner, Rory McIlroy did not make an appearance in Hawaii for either tournament. McIlroy will compete next on the DP World Tour in the Dubai Desert Classic, the same weekend as the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open.
McIlroy, who is the game’s top player, returns to the PGA Tour for the WM Phoenix Open in February.
2. Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler is continuing his prep for the American Express. Scheffler, who is No. 2 in the world, has three top-10s already this season, including the previous week’s seventh-place finish in Maui.
1. John Rahm
John Rahm remains in the top spot after his win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions the previous week in Maui.
Rahm, who is currently fourth in the standings and fifth in the world rankings, is set to play in at least three of the next four events, including the American Express, the Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open.
The Spaniard is one of five players within the top seven in the Official World Golf Ranking to commit to next week’s The American Express Open along with Scheffler, Cantlay, Zalatoris and Xander Schauffele.