Tom Kim raises ‘sportsmanship’ issues after wild Presidents Cup match

MONTREAL – Si Woo Kim’s final shot in the final round at the Presidents Cup on Saturday had barely stopped spinning before he and partner Tom Kim teed off – leaving their opponents at the center of a throng of celebrating Americans on the 18th green – and under the ropes. , in the direction of the interview room.

The dynamic duo of Kim and Kim had just faced off against the formidable American pairing of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in a back-and-forth match that began to feel like a must-win for the internationals as a team. the deficit increased. Si Woo had connected with a terrific hole-in-one chip at No. 16 and the pair were tied heading into No. 18. But then they lost, 1 under, when Cantlay holed a 16-footer for birdie in front of the clubhouse — and every fan left in property — as night fell at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.

The previous three hours had been a roller coaster ride. Team Kim was down 2 times early, but fought back with a mix of fist pumps, chest thrusts and wild jumps that electrified the pro-international crowd. Tom has taken the mantle of emotional leader and let it go: when he wasn’t a short free throw is awarded for No. 7, when he birdied No. 10, and when Si Woo barely found his ball but birdied the 16th anyway.

Now, as Tom Kim left Number 18, he screamed into the night, a loud, frustrated squeal, before climbing the stairs and entering the press room.

However, he kept his cool as he asked the first question, praising his partner.

“We got rid of Keegan and Wyndham really well in the morning and fought really hard at the end,” he said, referring to the pair’s 4am and 3am wins. “It was really clear that I wasn’t at my best in the afternoon. My partner saved me a lot today. It’s disappointing because I really feel like I could have done so much more. Hopefully we’ll have opportunities to have better finishes from time to time.”

But there was something else on his mind. Asked if he would eventually run out of gas, he explained that something the Americans had said – although he did not specify which The Americans – fired him to continue.

“I think the beginning of the round was definitely a little harder (to stay energized), but as it got closer to the end, it got a little rough there,” he said. “I could hear some players swearing at us. That part wasn’t really – I don’t think there was any good sportsmanship there. But it’s all part of the fun. I understand that. So the American team definitely motivated us to go out there.”

A reporter then asked if Kim was frustrated or angry about the sports issues he was referring to.

“No, absolutely not,” he said. “I do it too. You see me there doing fist pumps and dancing on the green. It’s all part of it, I get it. I just don’t think there’s any need to look at someone and insult them. I just don’t think there is a need for it.

“I understand. I’m not hurt about it. My feelings are not hurt at all. I hope there are no negative comments. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. I just feel like there are always little things, like what could I have done better? There are just a few things like that. I put my partner in some difficult positions and that for me is the most frustrating part of the day.

“He and I talked about when we got down early, let’s push it to 18. Obviously we did, and they had to play well to beat us, so give them a round of applause.”

A few minutes after the international players finished their pressure, four Americans came to ask questions, including Cantlay and Schauffele. Asked if hostile crowds and protesting opponents had crossed the line, Schauffele shook his head.

“I think you know you’re turning up on a tour on foreign soil and whatever people say, they say,” he said. “The only thing that’s satisfying for us is to get a point, and that’s what we did.”

Asked if they knew what Kim was referring to with his comments about “players insulting us,” Schauffele said he had no idea.

“I felt like Pat and I, we treated the Kims with the utmost respect,” he said. “We’re trying to calm the crowds down when they’re hitting. We’re trying to calm the crowds down when we’re hitting. That was right, grab and go. I have no idea if anyone was doing any of this. I don’t believe any of our boys would do such a thing. So I’m not sure what he was listening to.”

Like Schauffele, Cantlay said he had no idea what Kim was referring to. And, as usual, he had the last word.

“I don’t care what they do. I know they will get stronger if they make birds,” he said. “They made a ton of birdies. They got up in front of the home crowd. The home crowd loved it. This is wonderful. This is great for golf.

“We just made one more bird.”

Dylan Dethier

Editor of Golf.com

Dylan Dethier is a senior writer for GOLF Magazine/GOLF.com. Resident of Williamstown, Mass. joined GOLF in 2017 after two years of struggling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams College, where he majored in English, and he is the author of 18 in Americawhich details the year he spent as an 18-year-old living out of his car and golfing in every state.