Red-Hot Kim Siwoo Aims to Turn Momentum into Victory This Time

PGA Tour WM Phoenix Open tees off
Strong form with T2 finish last week and solid results in last three events
Scheffler, Koepka, Kim Joohyung, Kim Sunghyun, Lee Seungtaek in the field

Kim Siwoo will go for his first victory of the year.

On February 5 (local time), he will tee it up at the WM Phoenix Open, the fourth event of the 2026 PGA Tour season, held at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course (par 71, 7,261 yards) in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, with a total purse of 9.6 million dollars.

Unlike most other golf tournaments, this event allows drinking, cheering, and even booing. The PGA Tour refers to this tournament by its nickname, the "People's Open," rather than the "WM Phoenix Open," highlighting how fan-friendly and popular it is. In particular, the grandstands surrounding the par-3 16th hole are famous for their especially wild cheers and boos depending on the result of each tee shot.

Kim Siwoo will vie for the title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

From Korea, Kim Siwoo, Kim Sung-hyun, Kim Joo-hyung, and Lee Seung-taek will be in the field. The player to watch is, of course, Kim Siwoo. He has been on an upward trajectory this year, finishing tied for 11th at the Sony Open, tied for 6th at The American Express, and tied for 2nd at the Farmers Insurance Open. In the 12 rounds he has played this year, he has failed to shoot a score in the 60s only once, which shows how strong his form is. His recent results at this tournament have also been solid, with a tie for 12th in 2024 and a tie for 21st last year.

Kim Siwoo has not won since claiming his fourth PGA Tour title at the Sony Open in January 2023. He said, "I want to gain more experience in holding on until the final round so that this time I can carry it all the way to a win," adding, "The Phoenix Open draws a big crowd and is a fun tournament, and I will do my best to enjoy it with the fans and produce a good result."

This year's field includes 10 players who have won major championships and 11 players ranked inside the top 20 in the world, with many so-called "big names" set to compete. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States will be playing his second event of the year after winning The American Express last month. Scheffler captured back-to-back titles at this tournament in 2022 and 2023. Brooks Koepka of the United States, who left LIV Golf and returned to the PGA Tour, is also eyeing the trophy. Koepka likewise triumphed at the Phoenix Open in 2015 and 2021 before departing for LIV Golf.

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