Tom Kim's reaction to Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay breaking an unwritten golf rule at the Presidents Cup was reminiscent of Bryson DeChambeau's antics from the 2021 Ryder Cup. Paired with Si Woo Kim on the International Team, the South Korean golfer didn't hide his feelings on the seventh hole on the third day at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.
After Team USA's putt was conceded, Si Woo chipped and landed within three feet of the hole, expecting the same courtesy. However, Schauffele and Cantlay broke the unspoken golf rule by refusing Kim a 'gimme' putt in good faith, forcing the 22-year-old to tap home.
During this moment, Tom placed his putter on the ground to indicate the distance between the ball and the hole, but as his ball dropped, Cantlay and Schauffele had already moved on to the next hole - leaving only Si Woo to witness his act of defiance. Tom appeared still irritated after retrieving his ball, shaking his head as he caught up with his teammate.
Related articles
The South Korean has faced some backlash for his actions on social media, but it pales in comparison to the criticism DeChambeau received for doing the same thing three years ago at the Ryder Cup. On the par-four first hole of the 2021 tournament, the American golfer tanked his ball before chipping onto the green around 30 feet from the target.
He putted his next shot to within about three feet of the hole, before looking toward Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland to see if they would grant him a 'gimme', reports the Mirror. However, the European duo chose not to concede, prompting DeChambeau to hole his par putt.
Before taking the shot, DeChambeau shook his head and then laid his putter down to demonstrate the distance to the hole, staring at Hovland and Fleetwood in the process. The American crowd responded with cheers, but the gesture was met with criticism from the Sky Sports commentary team, including Butch Harmon, who said: "Come on Bryson, that's just not good. It's not right, we don't need it. Just play golf. He was ridiculous. Classless is what it is."
Paul McGinley also weighed in, saying: "This is out of order in my view. Come on, just get on with it. I guess we shouldn't make too much of a deal of it. It was just a bit of petulance." Meanwhile, former footballer Ian Wright took to social media to express his disapproval, writing: "DeChambeau's a w*****" alongside a clown emoji.
Team USA went on to win the Ryder Cup in 2021 with a record 19-9 victory over Europe, with DeChambeau contributing 2.5 points from three matches. The Americans are currently leading in the Presidents Cup, having dominated the Thursday Fourball, Saturday Fourball, and Saturday Foursomes, but it's the tensions between Kim and the American stars that have been making headlines.
Kim clashed with current world No 1 Scottie Scheffler earlier in the week when his enthusiastic celebration of a loud "let's go" and a fist-pump after sinking a 27-foot birdie putt on the par-three seventh attracted attention. Scheffler, unfazed, matched the birdie, halving the hole, and shot back with a pointed "What was that?" directed at Kim.
The competition intensified as Kim exulted once more after a successful putt at the eighth, but drew criticism for 'disrespect' when he moved to the ninth tee prior to Scheffler's subsequent birdie effort. The rivalry heated up further with allegations from Kim of the American duo Schauffele and Cantlay using offensive language towards him and International team-mate Si Woo, an accusation Schauffele has robustly denied.
Despite these tensions, the International Team celebrated their solitary victory with an emphatic 5-0 win in Friday's Foursomes. The Sunday singles matchups are still in the balance but with an 11-7 lead, the US Team is poised to claim their tenth consecutive Presidents Cup trophy.
