Tom Kim 2026 Open Championship Odds and Royal Birkdale Outlook

Tom Kim arrives at the 2026 Open Championship as one of the hottest names in the field after winning the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday, and the sportsbooks have him around +6500 to lift the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale. That number puts him well behind favorite Scottie Scheffler, but a player who just closed with a bogey-free 64 to win on a links warm-up is exactly the kind of longshot worth a second look before Thursday.

The 154th Open runs July 16 through 19 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. Kim landed in that field with momentum most of the world’s best would trade for.

How Tom Kim won the 2026 Scottish Open

Kim shot a final-round 64 at The Renaissance Club to reach 17-under 263 and beat Min Woo Lee by two. It was his fourth PGA Tour title and his first win since the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open, a drought that had stretched close to three years. He banked $1,575,000 from the $9 million purse and 500 FedExCup points, but the timing mattered more than the money.

Winning the week before a major, on a links course, in Scottish wind, is about as clean a tune-up as a player can get. Kim did not back into it either. A closing 64 with no bogeys under pressure is the kind of round that tells you the swing and the nerve are both in a good place heading to Birkdale.

Does Tom Kim‘s game fit Royal Birkdale

Kim has always been a strong ball-striker who keeps the ball in front of him, and that profile travels well to a classic links test where wind management and finding fairways matter more than raw distance. Royal Birkdale rewards control and patience, and Kim showed plenty of both at The Renaissance Club last week.

His links pedigree is not a projection. At the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool, Kim finished tied for second, the best major result of his career, and he did it while playing on a sprained ankle that nearly forced him to withdraw. He wore a removable cast away from the course and still shot a closing 67 to climb into a share of second behind Brian Harman. That week proved he can grind out a strong finish on a demanding links even when things are not perfect.

Tom Kim‘s recent major form

The Scottish Open was not a one-off. Kim finished solo third at last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, closing at 1-under 279 on a brutal setup and finishing ahead of Scheffler, who tied for fourth. That result was his first top-five of the year, and now he follows it with a win. Two strong showings on two very different major-caliber tests in a month is a real form line, not a fluke.

Tom Kim 2026 Open Championship betting and DFS angle

At +6500, Kim sits in the second tier of outright prices, and the case for a small outright or each-way ticket is straightforward. He is in form, he has a proven top-two finish at an Open, and he has already handled links conditions this month. Books tend to move slowly on players outside the top 15 in the market, so his number may be more generous now than it will be by Thursday.

For DFS, Kim is a strong pivot off the chalk at the top of the board. His salary should climb after the Scottish Open win, but his accuracy and his comfort in the wind make him a safer cash-game play than most golfers in his range, and his ceiling is obvious given he has a runner-up and a solo third in majors on his card. Top-10 and top-20 markets are also live places to use him if you want to sidestep the volatility of an outright at a windy links.

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Frequently asked questions

When does Tom Kim tee off at the 2026 Open Championship

Full Round 1 tee times and pairings are released by the R&A in the days before the Championship. The Open begins Thursday, July 16, with players going off both the first and 10th tees across the morning and afternoon waves.

Has Tom Kim ever won a major

No. Kim’s best major finish is his tie for second at the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. He added a solo third at the 2026 U.S. Open, so a maiden major would be the next milestone in his career.

How many PGA Tour wins does Tom Kim have

The Scottish Open was his fourth PGA Tour title. His previous three came earlier in his career, with the Scottish Open ending a winless stretch that dated back to the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open.

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