​Min Woo Lee saluted Tom Kim for his masterful handling of the final rounds, highlighting how Kim kept bogeys off the scorecard after finishing two strokes behind the South Korean champion at the Scottish Open on Sunday. It was an exciting day at The Renaissance Club for two of the PGA Tour’s most promising talents, as Lee and Kim delivered standout performances in North Berwick.
heading into the final round, many observers would have tipped either Matt Fitzpatrick or Robert MacIntyre to capture the title on a breezy Scotland morning. Yet it was Min Woo Lee and Tom Kim who stepped up their games in the closing stages, with the 24-year-old Kim finishing two shots ahead of the Australian Lee. Kim’s recent form has taken a notable upturn. He had dropped out of the FedEx Cup top 100 prior to the RBC Canadian Open in June but bounced back to finish third at the U.S. Open, signaling a resurgence in his play.
The improved form was evident even as Kim endured a minor hiccup on Thursday, dropping a shot on the first hole—his 10th of the day—during the opening round. That stumble proved to be one of only three bogeys Kim recorded all week. In fact, he hardly blinked on the back nine of the weekend, with just one bogey in his final 51 holes.
When asked what was running through his mind as Lee pressed him down the stretch, the 21-year-old Presidents Cup ally was quick to acknowledge his partner’s quality while highlighting Lee’s own consistency. “To be honest, I was kind of in my own world out there. Obviously Tom played great. I thought I was playing really solid. Didn’t make too many mistakes and holed the putts when I needed to,” Lee said. “Yeah, I don’t know, it was, whatever, 50 holes or something that he didn’t make a bogey, so that’s very impressive and that’s how you win tournaments. But no, I’m just happy with the week and obviously a win would have been nice. But it was one of the first weeks that I was just happy with myself mentally.”
The Scottish Open weekend was a crucial moment for Lee, who had ventured to Scotland after a challenging stretch that included missed cuts at the Memorial Tournament and the U.S. Open, plus a finish outside the top 60 at the Travelers Championship. The week offered a steady reminder of his potential and the value of maintaining focus over multiple days. Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway from Lee’s performance was the consistency he demonstrated in scoring, a hallmark of his ball-striking and mental firmness. He signed for 66 after each of his first three rounds, underscoring a level of reliability that can pay dividends on tougher setups.
Lee carried that confidence into what’s next on the schedule, anticipating a strong run at The Open Championship. “A lot. I don’t think I missed too many shots out there which was great to see. Of course, you’re nervous on some shots but I seem to get on the better side of it and I think that’s a lot of maturity and a lot of good stuff with technique,” he said. “So I’m really excited for next week.” The Open remains a significant milestone for both players, who each previously missed the cut in the last two Open Championships. Their performances in Scotland, however, have given them reason to believe that positive rounds may be coming in the next major.
The pairing of Lee and Kim in Scotland offered tangible evidence of the depth and promise currently present in the international game. For Kim, the week reinforced that his form is trending upward at a time when the major calendars are heavy with opportunity. For Lee, the Scottish Open result delivered a much-needed confidence boost and a reminder that his best golf remains within reach, even after a testing stretch on other tours.
As they look toward The Open Championship, both players will be hoping that the momentum from Scotland translates into rounds of sustained quality and lower scoring. If Kim can maintain his steady, bogey-free stretch and Lee can continue to drive consistency, they may well become two of the most compelling narrative threads of the upcoming major tournament season. Their performances this week have not only entertained fans but also signaled to the world that both players are capable of contending at the highest level, especially when conditions demand patience, precision, and pressure handling.