Tom Kim, of South Korea, waves after his putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

SOUTHPORT, England — Peter Uihlein was back at Royal Birkdale for the first time in nine years, and there were times late Sunday afternoon when he felt as though he was seeing the links course for the first time.

The turf was more brown than green, a sign of hot weather that has been baking Europe and an ominous sign for what figures to be a fast and fiery British Open starting Thursday. The wind was strong, not unusual for links golf along the Lancashire Coast.

From 256 yards away on the par-4 14th, Uihlein hit 6-iron that landed short of the green and wound up 40 yards beyond the hole. From 226 yards into the wind on the 18th, he smoked a 2-iron — he can’t remember the last time he had a 2-iron in the bag — and was just short of the green.

But it was the 15th hole that gave him pause.

“What the hell?” he said from the back of the tee of a 241-yard hole. It was only a few holes later that Uihlein, a former U.S. Amateur champion now with LIV Golf, said to no one in particular, “I just don’t remember a 240-yard par 3.”

That’s because it wasn’t there in 2017, the last time the Open was at Royal Birkdale.

It’s the second time in four years the R&A has effectively built a new hole, and as Rory McIlroy said last week, it’s sure to be a talking point.

Royal Birkdale began to fill Sunday for the final major of the year, a time to get reacquainted or to see it for the first time. Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka were among those who played, both coming down from the Scottish Open after missing the cut — a first for Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, in nearly four years.

Rickie Fowler shook off the jet lag on Saturday with a casual round at nearby West Lancashire and played all 18 holes on Sunday at Royal Birkdale with Akshay Bhatia, a Birkdale newcomer.

Kim prevails

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Tom Kim played bogey-free during a tight race to the finish Sunday and closed with a 6-under 64 for a two-shot victory in the Scottish Open, his first PGA Tour title since the fall of 2023.

It was the latest and best sign the 24-year-old Kim had his game on track after spending all season outside the top 100 in the world. He finished third in the U.S. Open, and then outlasted a strong field and a marathon day at The Renaissance Club.

Kim, who reached as high as No. 11 in the world at age 21 when he won in Las Vegas nearly three years ago, delivered the clinching blow with a shot from 203 yards to 6 feet on the par-4 16th, giving him a two-shot lead.

“That second shot might be one of the best shots I’ve hit in my career so far,” Kim said.

He finished with a 4-foot par putt on the 18th as his closest pursuer, Min Woo Lee, watched from the 18th fairway and realized he needed to hold out from the fairway to force a playoff. Lee closed with a par for a 67 to finish alone in second.

Elsewhere:

n Haeran Ryu birdied the first hole of a playoff with Brooke Henderson to win the Evian Championship for a second straight major title in the space of three weeks.

n Zach Johnson won his first PGA Tour Champions major at Firestone Country Club. He closed with a 2-under 68 for a six-shot victory in the Kaulig Companies Championship.

n Steven Fisk outlasted Taylor Pendrith in the ISCO Championship on Sunday for his second PGA Tour title, two-putting for par on the third hole of a playoff.

n Former tennis player Mardy Fish won his third American Century Championship title Sunday, beating 2025 winner Joe Pavelski by six points in the celebrity tournament. Fish had a 20-point day under the modified Stableford scoring system to get to 72 at Edgewood Tahoe. NBA star Stephen Curry was third at 59.