‘Newlywed’ Kim Si-woo "Again 2021"

American Express 2 Consecutive Wins 'Advance'
Ram, Scheffler, Cantlay, Schauffele 'Title Contenders'
Korea's Kim Juhyung, Im Sungjae, Lee Kyunghun, Ahn Byunghun Join

‘Newlywed’ Kim Si-woo is on a march for his second consecutive victory.

The American Express (total prize money $8 million), a PGA Tour event, will be held on the 19th (local time) at the La Quinta PGA West Stadium Course (par 72, 7,187 yards) in California, USA, a fiercely contested venue.

Siwoo Kim will challenge for his second consecutive victory at the American Express.

It is interesting that the tournament follows a pro-am format, where players accompany amateur golfers on three different courses during the first three rounds: La Quinta Country Club (par 72, 7,060 yards) and the Nicklaus Tournament Course (par 72, 7,147 yards). On the final day, the competition for the championship returns to the Stadium Course.

Kim Si-woo achieved a come-from-behind victory at the Sony Open, which concluded on the 15th at the Waialae Country Club (par 70) in Honolulu, Hawaii. This marks his fourth career win and a rising momentum two years after winning the American Express in January 2021. He showcased peak form by shooting six under par on the final day. He recorded an average driving distance of 322.6 yards and a greens in regulation rate of 83.33%. His world ranking also jumped 43 spots from 84th last week to 41st.

The American Express is a ‘promised land’ for Kim Si-woo. Two years ago, he fired eight under par on the final day to claim the winner’s trophy for the first time in three years and eight months. Kim married Oh Ji-hyun, who has accumulated seven wins on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, in December last year. Having his wife accompany him on tour is a great source of strength.

Kim Si-woo expressed his gratitude, saying, "Having my wife with me gives me a lot of strength. Even in tense situations, seeing her walk alongside me made me smile and helped ease my nerves." He added, "The American Express is the tournament I won in 2021. If the fans continue to support me, I believe I can achieve good results."

Kim Si-woo’s competitors are formidable as well. Five players ranked within the top 10 in the world are participating. They include world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler (USA), No. 4 Jon Rahm (Spain), No. 5 Patrick Cantlay, No. 6 Xander Schauffele, and No. 7 Will Zalatoris (all USA). Rahm secured an early victory at the first tournament of the new year, the Sentry Tournament of Champions (TOC), on the 8th. Hudson Swafford (USA) is the defending champion.

Korea is aiming for redemption with world No. 14 Kim Joo-hyung and No. 19 Im Sung-jae. They are determined to wash away the humiliation of missing the cut at the Sony Open. Joining them are An Byeong-hun and Kim Seong-hyun (both tied for 12th), and Lee Kyeong-hoon (tied for 28th), who performed well at the Sony Open. This tournament also marks Kang Sung-hoon’s first appearance of the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.