Tom Kim mentioned that players were swearing at him during his Saturday matches at the Presidents Cup after Xander Schauffele delivered a harsh message.
Tom Kim mentioned that during his Saturday matches at the Presidents Cup, players were swearing at him after receiving a harsh message from Xander Schauffele.
Breaking news: South Korea’s Tom Kim, who has been an emotional catalyst for the Internationals against the United States at the Presidents Cup, revealed that he and his partner Kim Si-woo were cursed at by their opponents on Saturday.
The South Korean pair narrowly lost 1-up to Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele at Royal Montreal, giving the US team an 11-7 lead heading into Sunday’s final 12 singles matches.
Both Kims sank long shots to win holes in an emotional duel. After Kim Si-woo holed a 40-foot chip from the greenside rough to take victory on the 16th hole, he celebrated with a Stephen Curry NBA “goodnight” gesture.
“My favorite NBA player is Steph Curry, so that inspired me,” Kim Si-woo explained. “It didn’t end well, but I was still excited.”
Tom Kim mentioned that the emotions led to unsportsmanlike behavior.
“As it neared the end, things got a bit intense,” Tom Kim remarked. “I could hear some players cursing at us, which didn’t seem very sportsmanlike to me. But it’s all part of the fun, and I understand that.”
“The US team certainly inspired us to step up.”
Tom Kim, who nailed a 38-foot putt to clinch the ninth hole, was rallying the fans with cheers and throwing fist pumps as pivotal putts dropped on the back nine.
