The American’s clutch 16-foot par putt crushed French dreams and ended his seven-year title drought.

Michael Sangwon Kim isn’t your typical PGA Tour player. Born in Seoul but raised in San Diego, the 32-year-old has lived through golf’s highest highs and lowest lows. At UC Berkeley, he was a phenom—winning both the Jack Nicklaus Award and Haskins Award in 2013 as the nation’s top college golfer, playing alongside future star Max Homa. His amateur credentials were stellar: low amateur at the 2013 U.S. Open at just 19 years old.

But professional golf had different plans. After his dominant eight-shot victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic—setting the tournament scoring record at 27-under—Kim’s world came crashing down. The 2019 season was brutal: 19 missed cuts in 20 events, plummeting to 502nd in the world rankings. He lost his PGA Tour card in 2021, had to grind through the Korn Ferry Tour, and became better known for his viral social media presence than his golf game.

The French Heartbreak

Sunday at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche near Paris was supposed to be a fairytale for the home crowd. French golfer Jeong Weon Ko had fired a sensational final-round 65, complete with two eagles, setting the clubhouse target at 15-under and putting himself in prime position for a storybook victory.

But Kim had other plans. Starting the day one shot behind co-leaders Brooks Koepka and Min Woo Lee, he methodically worked his way into contention with a front-nine 33. The turning point came on the back nine when birdies at 16 and 17 gave him the outright lead at 16-under.

Drama at the Death

The par-3 18th hole should have been routine. Kim needed just a par to secure victory, but golf rarely makes things that simple. His tee shot found a greenside bunker, leaving him with a tricky up-and-down to avoid a playoff with Ko and Elvis Smylie, who had also posted 15-under.

Kim’s bunker shot came up short, rolling to 16 feet from the hole. The French crowd held its collective breath, hoping for a miss that would send their hero Ko into a playoff. But Kim, who admitted he “kind of blacked out,” rolled the par putt into the heart of the cup.

The Bigger Picture

This wasn’t just another European Tour victory—it was redemption on multiple levels. Kim became the first American to win the French Open since Barry Jaeckel in 1972, joining legends Walter Hagen and Byron Nelson on that exclusive list. More importantly, it was his first worldwide victory since that John Deere breakthrough seven years ago.

The win catapults Kim from 160th to 35th in the Race to Dubai standings, securing his playing privileges for 2026 and putting him firmly in contention for the season-ending playoffs.

The Aftermath

Koepka, who started the final round tied for the lead, couldn’t maintain his momentum, managing just eight pars and a bogey on the back nine to finish fourth. The five-time major champion has been grinding through European events recently, missing cuts at the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship.

Kim’s victory speech was refreshingly honest: “I’ve had a really good year on the PGA Tour this year. This feels like the perfect cherry on top.” For a player who’s been more famous for his bathroom humor stories on social media than his golf recently, it was a moment of pure, unfiltered joy.