Players Championship final leaderboard 2017: Si Woo Kim is your surprise winner at TPC Sawgrass
Jason Day failed to defend with a final-round 80 while Si Woo Kim outlasted the best in the world to become the youngest winner in one of golf’s showcase events.
Jason Day was no match for the revamped TPC Sawgrass, as the 2016 Players Champion winner bowed out of his failed title defense with a final-round 80. His 8-over round was one stroke better than his tourney-worst 81 in 2015.
With an outwardly unruffled Si Woo Kim prevailing by three shots over Ian Poulter and Louis Oosthuizen, Day was hardly the only big name to falter in the event that boasted the strongest field of the year. Indeed, the 2017 Players is likely to be remembered more for the guys who were nowhere near the top of the leaderboard Sunday evening than for many of those in contention down the stretch.
Jordan Spieth was not even in the field, having missed the cut on Friday. Dustin Johnson finally put it all together in Sunday’s finale, matching Brendan Steele at 4-under for the low round of the day at 68, but three previous rounds in the 70s ended the hopes of the world No. 1 winning his first Players.
Rory McIlroy, in his first tournament since getting married and signing a huge new equipment deal with TaylorMade, hurt his back earlier in the tourney and posted a final-round 75 to finish 2-over for the week. Sergio Garcia had that ace on the dangerous par-3 17th in round one.
But that was about it for highlights for the reigning Masters champ, who scuffled to the finish line with a final-round 78 that included a 41 on his outgoing nine and a double bogey (his third of the day) at the last hole.
And though Poulter — with only three top-10s worldwide in the last two years and down to 197th in the world rankings — was making a statement (T2 after almost losing his PGA Tour card), Sunday’s finale was all about Kim (even with shots like Rafa Cabrera Bello’s albatross on the par-5 16th).
ALBATROSS!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 14, 2017
Just perfect. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/bgyFEl6pzI
The 21-year-old Kim, the youngest Players champ ever, was the longest of long shots to win this week, considering his recent record coming into the tourney.
Si Woo Kim this season, entering the week:
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) May 14, 2017
7 missed cuts
4 WDs
3 rounds of 80+
1 top-10
Leads Players by 2 on back nine on Sunday.
With his victory, Kim, who posted a flawless 3-under 69 finale to get to 10-under for the week, entered rarified air, joining Tiger Woods, Spieth, and Garcia in an exclusive club.
Players last 25 years to win twice on PGA Tour before turning 22:
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) May 14, 2017
Tiger, Sergio, Spieth.
Si Woo Kim can join them today.
And with the men’s second major of the season coming up in a month at Erin Hills, Kim at the The Players proved one thing: the U.S. Open is anybody’s ballgame.
Here are your final results from Sawgrass:

