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Kim Si-woo grabs one-stroke lead at PGA Tour's American Express with one round to go

Published: 25 Jan. 2026, 15:43

Kim Si-woo hits his tee shot at the third hole during the second round of the American Express at Pete Dye Stadium Course in La Quinta, California on Jan. 23. [AP/YONHAP]

Kim Si-woo climbed up to the sole No. 1 spot at the PGA Tour's American Express at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California after carding a six-under-par, 66, in the third round on Saturday.

Kim pulled off a notable performance in the third round, making seven birdies and one bogey, for a total score of 22 under par at 194.

The final round will put him to the test of protecting his No. 1 spot against strong competitors such as Blades Brown and Scottie Scheffler, who are tied in second at 21 under par with 195.

Scheffler, who has dominated the PGA since 2024, enters the final round with a chance to win his 20th PGA trophy in his career. He has already collected six wins on the Tour so far.

Brown, the son of former WNBA player Rhonda Brown, holds a black belt in taekwondo and turned professional at 17 instead of attending college. He has already secured Korn Ferry Tour — second-tier tour that sits below the PGA — status for 2026.

For Kim Si-woo, winning this year's American Express would mark his second time doing so after his first in 2021. He has four PGA titles under his belt, with his last victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2023.

Fellow countryman Kim Seong-hyeon, meanwhile finished the third round in joint 37th place with a 13 under par at 203. Tom Kim tied for 50th with 12 under par.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SUNG HO-JUN [[email protected]]