Top 10 power rankings in 2022 The American Express

After shooting 87 and having to withdraw from the 2020 The American Express due to back issues, Si Woo Kim had a big reversal of fortune in 2021. He came to Palm Springs in better mind, body and spirit to shoot 66-68-67-64 (-23) and hold off a hard-charging Patrick Cantlay for the victory.

Something about Pete Dye Stadium courses fit Kim’s eye.

The biggest of three PGA Tour wins came at the 2017 Players Championship. Kim advanced through PGA Tour Q School here in 2012, and then won on the PGA Tour in 2021.

“That’s why I feel confidence whenever I come to this course,” Kim was quoted by Golfweek. “So, that helps a lot for me this week, especially I try to focus on the memories that gave me good scores, so that’s why it drove me to the win.”

Kim co-led the field with 81.94% greens in regulation. On the rare occasion he misfired on approach, a scrambling rate of 84.62% kept him afloat at the top.

The South Korean star also finished T-9th (67-71-64-67) at his tournament debut in 2016 and T-40th (70-70-67-68) in 2019. The 26-year-old had a solid 2021, earning four more top-10s after The American Express, including T-2nd at the Wyndham Championship.

Kim comes to this event from Hawaii last week where he took T-55th at the Sony Open. He ranked fourth on the PGA Tour last season in strokes gained around the green (.467). Kim can get a little wayward off the tee. That’s a bigger problem at events like last week, but as long as he avoids the big miss, he’ll be just fine this week in his title defense.