Tom Kim on the Presidents Cup on Sunday.
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MONTREAL — Tom Kim, his match on Sunday with Sam Burns completed and his Presidents Cup over, packed up his golf bag to the proper of Royal Montreal’s 18th inexperienced, did an interview with Canadian TV and one other with Golf Channel, then labored his means by way of the cameras and people gathered round to make his technique to two folks he’d noticed towards the again of the inexperienced. They’d been on his thoughts, truly.
Xander Schauffele and Jim Furyk.
A day earlier, Schaufelle, together with Patrick Cantlay, had been in Kim’s crosshairs. Throughout Presidents Cup alternate-shot play, Kim and Internationals accomplice Si Woo Kim went stroke for stroke with arguably the American aspect’s greatest pairing. Schauffele and Cantlay led 2 up after 8. The match was sq. after 10. Schauffele and Cantlay led 1 up after 13. The match was sq. after 14. Schauffele and Cantlay led 1 up after 15. The match was sq. after 16. Issues completed as you’d determine — on 18, in close to darkness, Cantlay rolled in a 17-footer, and the Individuals gained 1 up.
Afterward, because the U.S. aspect celebrated, the Kims, together with teammate Taylor Pendrith, have been carted to a press convention tent, the place, seven questions in, this question was posed:
“For all three of you, it was clearly an extended, emotional, exhausting day. Did you guys really feel such as you had loads of gasoline left on the finish, or was it arduous to form of push by way of?”
Solely Tom Kim answered. His response created headlines.
“I believe the beginning of the spherical was undoubtedly a bit more durable, however because it received in direction of the tip, it received a bit feisty on the market. I might hear some gamers cursing at us. That half wasn’t actually — I don’t assume there was good sportsmanship there. However it’s all a part of the enjoyable. I perceive it.
“So the U.S. workforce undoubtedly motivated us to go on the market.”
Feisty? Cursing? Unsportsmanlike?
Actually? You hear chirps in workforce golf, however swearing appeared excessive, if true. And if Kim was being honest, ought to he have shared that?
Minutes later, in a U.S. press convention, Schauffele was requested for a response, and he appeared caught off-guard.
“I imply, I can converse for myself. I felt like Pat and I, we handled the Kims with the utmost respect. We’re making an attempt to quiet the crowds down once they have been hitting. We’re making an attempt to quiet the gang — return on movie, quiet the crowds down after we have been hitting. It was truthful take, give and go.
“I’ve no clue if anybody was doing any of that. I don’t imagine any of our guys would do one thing like that. So I’m unsure what he was listening to.”
Kim seemingly caught the following response.
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He thought issues over. He’d share his aspect. The second got here to him as Schauffele and Furyk, the U.S. captain, took within the final strokes of Kim and Burns’ singles match, which they halved.
A GOLF.com reporter watched. Kim did many of the speaking. There have been handshakes. Finally, after about two minutes, Worldwide captain Mike Weir pulled his participant away.
What was mentioned?
“Yeah, it was nearly my feedback yesterday,” Kim mentioned. “I simply advised him like, hey, I didn’t imply it to go in such a detrimental means. If it did, I simply mentioned I’m sorry. It was simply I felt like what I heard yesterday, some feedback that I’ve heard was at the moment, simply coming off the inexperienced, it got here to me so personally and simply I felt prefer it was proper to share.
“Positively, I didn’t actually at the moment, simply didn’t assume it will be so detrimental. I actually didn’t imply to — as a result of once I performed with Patrick and Xander, clearly we’ve battled just a few occasions they usually’ve all the time been such nice opponents. They’ve by no means — I’ve all the time felt like there’s such a great sportsmanship between us. It was simply exterior the ropes, and I felt like that was a bit misunderstanding on my half, which I ought to have defined higher.
“So I went to him and I mentioned, I didn’t imply it that means. I apologize if it got here out wrongly. It was simply this and this occurred, but when it affected you guys so negatively, I actually do apologize. I didn’t imply to do it in that means.
“This occasion is all about doing belongings you would by no means do and creating power and doing all this stuff. If I — I do sure issues on the greens once I make putts, and I count on them to do the identical factor. It’s all a part of the sport. It was nearly that.”
Did Kim have that behind his thoughts, that he’d strategy the participant and captain in some unspecified time in the future?
“Completely” he mentioned. “It got here so negatively, which I by no means meant to do. I simply wished to seek out the proper time and share my ideas as a result of I don’t need my workforce to really feel uncomfortable. I don’t need their workforce to really feel a sure means about us. It’s all enjoyable. It’s all a part of the sport.
“I felt prefer it was proper for me to go up and share the way in which — you realize, what the that means was coming from that remark.”
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Was Kim’s gesture shocking? Perhaps, particularly after how tense Saturday turned. Did it reveal greater than any shot right here? You possibly can make that case, too. Clearly Saturday’s occasions and Kim’s public response to them had been weighing on him.
Schauffele, when requested in regards to the assembly in his press convention Sunday, declined to share what Kim had mentioned to him. “It was in non-public,” he mentioned. However just a few questions later, he mentioned this, when requested of the 4 Korean gamers on the Worldwide workforce: the Kims, Sungjae Im and Ben An.
“They carry the fireplace to that workforce,” Schauffele mentioned. “I do know we’re in Canada, and there was just a few Canadians on that workforce they usually have been getting rooted on by the crowds, however Si Woo, Tom, Ben, Sungjae — you realize, Sungjae might be the tamest of all of them, however we take a look at him as an murderer in his personal proper, he hits it so dang straight. Then Tom and Si Woo collectively, I imply, these boys — this course is perhaps, I don’t know, 7,000 yards, however these boys cowl about 9,000 yards in a spherical of golf, at the very least those that I performed in opposition to them.
“They hit unbelievable pictures. P.C. [Patrick Cantlay] and I noticed it. They have been very arduous — P.C. and I needed to convey out a few of our greatest stuff to beat them final evening. They got here out to the final gap.
“It’s actually good for golf. As a competitor, I respect it. It’s not how I’m going about my enterprise, however I respect it as a result of that’s how they play. If I used to be working round and getting fired up, I’d make bogey on the following gap, however these boys are working round and birdieing each frickin’ gap on us. I’ve a variety of respect for everybody on that workforce, however the Koreans undoubtedly convey the warmth, little doubt.”
