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Kim Si-woo finished second to world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the opening event of the PGA Tour playoffs, which ended Monday. The $2.16 million runner-up prize brought Kim’s career earnings to $40,509,184, making him the first South Korean player to surpass $40 million in PGA Tour career earnings. He has recorded 11 top-10 finishes this season, including three runner-up finishes. Although he has yet to win, Kim is fourth in the FedEx Cup standings. He is also ranked No. 13 in the world, the highest ranking of his career since he joined the PGA Tour in 2012. Kim has found an unlikely source of inspiration in Scheffler, his “neighborhood friend” and “next-door neighbor.” The two live in Dallas, Texas. Speaking to South Korean media in a video interview Wednesday, a day before the BMW Championship, the second playoff event, begins Thursday, Kim said he and Scheffler play practice rounds two or three times a week during the offseason and when they are between tournaments. “Whenever we played together, I asked him about shots I had struggled with,” Kim said. “It helped a lot to take the tips he gave me and work them into my own game.” Kim laughed as he added, “Scheffler makes mistakes sometimes in tournaments, too. But when he plays with me at his home course, he doesn’t make any. He’s even more unbeatable than he is in tournaments. I haven’t beaten him once in the past two years. We’ve only tied twice.” The one thing missing from Kim’s season is a win. “I’d give myself a 9 out of 10 this season,” he said. “I’ve been consistent in every tournament, and I’ve improved my game.” That missing point comes down to one thing: winning. Kim’s most recent PGA Tour title came at the Sony Open in January 2023. The four-time PGA Tour winner said, “My goal is to win at least once every year. I haven’t reached that goal for three years, but I believe my time will come if I keep playing my game.” Kim has two more chances this season. He will compete in the BMW Championship, the second playoff event, and has virtually secured a spot in the Tour Championship, the season finale for the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings. “I’m going to give it everything I have and leave nothing in the tank to try to win this week or next week,” Kim said. 이소연 기자 always99@donga.com