Kim soars to win Players Championship as Poulter returns to form

South Korea’s Kim Si-woo kept his nerve to claim a second PGA Tour title with a three-shot victory over England’s Ian Poulter and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa at The Players Championship at Sawgrass.

The 21-year-old was calmness personified as he finished on 10-under par after a flawless final round, keeping Poulter, his main rival on the back nine, at arm’s-length during the latter stages.

It was a welcome return to form for Poulter after he received a repreive over his PGA Tour membership last month. He looked set to finish an outright second before a bogey on the 18th, although he rescued an almost impossible situation with a stunning penultimate shot from the trees.

Oosthuizen joined Poulter on seven under following a final round 73, while Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello was a shot behind in joint-fourth.

Cabrera Bello became the first player to fire an albatross at the par five 16th, while a birdie at 17th helped the 32-year-old to card a final round 70.

Former world No1 Rory McIlroy ended with a double bogey for a final round 75, which left him two-over for the tournament and tied 35th, a shot clear of English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton.

McIlroy, however, required strapping to his torso and painkillers to complete the four rounds and is now set to return to Belfast for an MRI scan on his injured back, which will help determine whether he plays at next week’s PGA Championship at Wentworth.