S.H. Kim is #TOURBound after first Korn Ferry Tour title, pair of runner-up finishes
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S.H. Kim’s crazy bounces set up unlikely scores at The American Express
Kim will return to the PGA TOUR, where he previously finished No. 68 in the 2023 FedExCup Fall standings as a rookie
Written by Staff
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – S.H. Kim is the sixth Korn Ferry Tour member to achieve #TOURBound status and secure PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season, as announced Tuesday by the Korn Ferry Tour.
Kim, who previously graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour following the 2022 season, earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the 2025 AdventHealth Championship in May. The Changwon, South Korea, native also recorded runner-up finishes at the season-opening 2025 The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, where he lost to Hank Lebioda in a playoff, and the 118th VISA Argentina Open presented by Macro in March.
In total, Kim has five top-10s in 16 starts this season, with those finishes amounting to 1,343 points. Despite missing the two most recent events, Kim remained at No. 6 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and effectively secured one of the 20 PGA TOUR cards available through the final Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
Kim turned professional in December 2017 at 19 years of age and launched his career on the Japan Golf Tour and ACN Tour (also referred to as Japan Challenge Tour) in 2019, though his breakthrough victory came at the 2020 KPGA Championship, one of the two longest-running and most prestigious events on the KPGA Tour. Kim won the KPGA Championship as an open qualifier, which made him the first open qualifier in history to win on the KPGA Tour. A year later, Kim won the 2021 Japan PGA Championship, one of the Japan Golf Tour’s five major championships.
Later in 2021, Kim played his way through the First, Second and Final Stages of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament (now known as PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry) to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2022 season. As a Korn Ferry Tour rookie, Kim posted five top-10 finishes, including a pair of runner-up finishes, to easily finish within the top 25 of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and earn PGA TOUR membership.
S.H. Kim nearly aces No. 17 at Valspar
As a PGA TOUR rookie, Kim finished No. 68 in the 2023 FedExCup Fall standings off the strength of a runner-up finish at the 2023 Procore Championship, where he finished two strokes behind Sahith Theegala. Following a No. 130 finish in the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings, Kim turned his focus to regaining PGA TOUR membership via the Korn Ferry Tour this season.
The 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season continues this week with the Compliance Solutions Championship, the 25th of 26 scheduled events and the third of four season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.
While the top 20 players on the final 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season, the player who finishes No. 1 earns exemptions for the 2026 PLAYERS Championship and 2026 U.S. Open. Johnny Keefer stands atop the Korn Ferry Tour Points List with 2,207 points, just over 330 points (equivalent to a solo-second finish in a Finals event) ahead of No. 2 Austin Smotherman.
The finalization of the points list and awarding of the 20 PGA TOUR cards will take place upon conclusion of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, scheduled for Oct. 9-12 at French Lick Golf Resort in French Lick, Indiana.
