Southport, England: There’s clearly something about Lancashire links courses and the northwest of England that agrees with Tom Kim. Report by Spencer Robinson – Asian Tour contributor.

It was three years ago that the Korean caused a major stir when he placed runner-up to American Brian Harman at Royal Liverpool in what was only his second Open Championship appearance.

This week, the former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner is aiming to go one better at Royal Birkdale, a course that is less than 30 miles north of the venue at which he made his first run at a Major title in 2023.

On the opening-day of the 154th edition of golf’s original championship, Kim found himself on the wrong side of the draw, a 1.31 pm start time meaning he was among those who experienced the most challenging of the conditions with the winds whipping up in the afternoon.

Undaunted, 24-year-old Kim buckled down to the task at hand and had every reason to be contented with an even-par 70. American Jackson Suber holds the lead following a 65.

“I did well. It’s a Major championship, so the golf course is going to be tough. Obviously, the wind in the afternoon is blowing. I felt like I did a pretty good job, low stress. Just a few more birdies would have been nice, but overall, it’s a decent start,” assessed the man who emerged from a dip in form that saw him miss the first two Majors of 2026 by claiming a tie for third in last month’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

His resurgence continued last week when he captured his fourth PGA Tour title, topping the leaderboard at the Genesis Scottish Open.

No wonder there’s been an unmistakable spring in his step since setting foot on Royal Birkdale.

There’s also been a sense that we’re seeing a calmer, more measured version of Kim. He does not disagree.

“Yes, I do believe I have matured a lot in the last few years, the way I approach the game, the way I go about my business on the golf course. It is very different,” said Kim, who acknowledges that his Asian Tour triumphs at the Panasonic Open India in 2019 and the Singapore International in 2022 were important catalysts in his rapid development.

Promisingly, he also accepts that further improvement is required if he’s to write his name into golfing folklore this week by becoming just the second Korean male Major champion (after YE Yang) and the first Asian to raise aloft the Claret Jug and be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year.

Summing up his day one performance over the Birkdale links, he said: “Today was just a quiet round – two birdies, two bogeys. But I do have to do a better job of trying to figure out how I can get these days a little better.”

Main Picture: Tom Kim (Getty Images).