SILVIS, Illinois — Michael Kim made his long-awaited first US PGA Tour triumph a record-breaker Sunday, winning the John Deere Classic by eight strokes with a final-round 66.

The South Korean-born American finished with a 27-under total of 257 — one stroke better than the previous tournament record set by Steve Stricker in 2010.

Kim also posted the tournament’s largest margin of victory — by four strokes — since it moved to TPC Deere Run in 2000.

“I’m just really thankful and proud,” said Kim. “I feel like I’ve been running on fumes the entire back nine. I’m just super-thankful, thankful to my parents, my team, my coaches ...”

A day after celebrating his 25th birthday, Kim punched his ticket to next week’s Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Americans Joel Dahmen, Sam Ryder and Bronson Burgoon shared second on 265.

Kim took a five-shot lead over Burgoon into the final round and wasted no time in stretching his lead.

He opened with three straight birdies at the Silvis, Illinois, layout, rolling in a 24-footer at the third.

Kim stuck his second shot two feet from the pin for a birdie at the eighth, and drained a 21-footer for birdie at 16 to reach 27-under.

He two-putted for par from about 80 feet at the last, holing a five-footer to complete a bogey-free final round and getting an emotional hug from his parents, who to his surprise had just flown in Sunday.

Kim, one shot off the lead after his first-round 63 on Thursday, moved atop the leaderboard during the weather-disrupted second round and extended his lead in a third round plagued by two more weather delays.

Molinari, a runaway winner at the Quicken Loans National two weeks ago, fired a final-round 64 to seize his share of second. Dahmen posted a 65 and Ryder a 66.

Burgoon, playing in the last group with Kim, was unable to mount a charge, finishing with three birdies and a bogey in his two-under 69 but making a solid up-and-down for par from a greenside bunker at the last to maintain his share of second.

Stone claims Scottish Open

South Africa’s Brandon Stone came desperately close to the first 59 in European Tour history as he won the Scottish Open at the Gullane course near Edinburgh Sunday.

Given he had been a 1,000/1 outsider ahead of the tournament and that this win saw him qualify for next week’s British Open at Carnoustie, there was little reason for Stone to feel disappointed.

And yet, after a superb run of eight birdies and an eagle in his first 16 holes on Sunday, Stone needed to play the last two in one under par to break the famed mark of 60.

He made par on the 17th but then missed a birdie putt from eight feet on the last.

Nevertheless, Stone’s outstanding round of 60 left him on 20 under par and set a clubhouse lead that never looked like being bettered.

England’s Eddie Pepperell was four shots adrift after a 64 which also saw him qualify for the British Open and meant he would not be needed for commentary work at Carnoustie with BBC Radio.

Luke List of the United States, already exempt for The Open, former US Masters champion Trevor Immelman and overnight leader Jens Dantorp shared third place on 15-under.

But unlike compatriot Stone, Immelman missed out on a place in The Open, with Sweden’s Dantorp taking the final qualifying spot thanks to a superior world ranking. — AFP