LOS ANGELES • South Korean Kim Si-woo rolled in back-to-back birdies at the 16th and 17th holes to hold off hard-charging Patrick Cantlay and win the US PGA Tour event in La Quinta, California, by one stroke.
But his third PGA Tour victory, after firing eight birdies in an eight-under 64 for a 23-under total of 265, will not be enough to exempt the 25-year-old from military service.
Kim, winner of the 2017 Players Championship and the 2016 Wyndham Championship, delayed his two-year mandatory service but knows he has to serve soon.
Conscription in South Korea requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 28 to serve. Kim would be granted exemption if he wins an Olympic medal or becomes an Asian Games champion.
"I didn't do the service yet, but I'm planning on it as a Korean, but I don't know when I will go there," he said.
Sunday's victory made him the South Korean with the second-most wins after trailblazer K. J. Choi, who has eight PGA Tour victories.
Compatriots Noh Seung-yul and Bae Sang-moon, one-time and two-time winners on the Tour respectively, have completed their service and returned to competition.
"It feels great to become the second (highest) player. I cannot say I will achieve what K. J. Choi did because he did a great job," said Kim, who moved into the world's top 50 with his win at PGA West.
"My goal this year is to have a win and I got it already and I just want to have one more win and then I try to get into the Tour Championship."
Cantlay had stormed to a narrow clubhouse lead with 11 birdies in an 11-under 61 - a record on the Stadium Course - and enough to put him one ahead of Kim as the Seoul native was coming up the finishing straight.
Kim regained a share of the lead with his seventh birdie of the day at the par-five 16th, where he reached the green in two and two-putted from 50 feet - leaving himself less than four feet for birdie.
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PGA Tour wins for Kim Si-woo. He is the South Korean with the second most wins on the Tour, after K. J. Choi (eight).
At No. 17, Kim poured a 19-foot birdie putt into the heart of the cup to regain the lead.
"No. 16, I really needed a birdie to make the play-off, and after I made the birdie on No. 16, I felt more confident. I felt more comfortable. So I tried to hit it more confidently on 17's putt, so that's how I made it," said Kim, who polished off the win with a textbook par at the par-four 18th, his final stroke a tap-in.
Australian Cameron Davis fired a 64 for solo third on 268 while American Tony Finau (68) was alone in fourth on 269.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
