South Korean Kim youngest to win Players

Kim Si-woo became the youngest winner of The Players Championship on Sunday when he shot a final round three-under-par 69 to clinch a three-stroke victory at the TPC Stadium course in Ponte Vedra.

The 21-year-old South Korean displayed composure beyond his years to finish on 10-under 278 and follow 2011 champion K.J. Choi as the second from his country to win the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

Englishman Ian Poulter (71) was the only player to put pressure on Kim over the final few holes. However, he bogeyed the last after shanking his second into a bush and finished tied for second with South African Louis Oosthuizen on seven-under.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson carded a final round 68 to finish tied for 12th while No. 2 Rory McIlroy ended with a 75 to drop to equal 35th.

Kim, nearly two years younger than Adam Scott when the Australian won in 2004, is also the first player from Asia to win twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 22.

“Today was a very happy day. I didn’t expect that I could be the champion of this tournament at this young age,” Kim told a news conference.

Defending champion Jason Day had a quadruple-bogey nine at the par-five 16th and a double-bogey at the par three 17th to shoot 80 and plunge to equal 60th.

Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who started the day three shots from the lead, did not fare much better with a 78 and finished tied for 30th place.