MONTREAL – Tom Kim may only have a record of 1-2 in this edition of the Presidents Cup but he has been a thorn in the side of the U.S., an excitable player pumping his fists, dancing around the green after making an assortment of lengthy putts and egging the crowd to make more noise.
All of that is fair play in team competition but Kim accused the American side of crossing the line into unsportsmanlike behavior.
“It got a little feisty out there. I could hear some players cursing at us,” Kim said during a post-match press conference after he and partner lost a thriller to Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. “That part wasn’t really, I don’t think there was good sportsmanship there. But it’s all part of the fun. I understand it. So the U.S. Team definitely motivated us to go out there.”
Later in the press conference, without naming names, Kim reiterated that he was disappointed with some of the comments directed at him and partner Si Woo Kim.
“You see me out there throwing fist pumps and jumping on the green. It’s all part of it, I get it. I just don’t think there’s a need to look at someone and curse at them. I just don’t think there’s a need for it,” he said. “I understand it. I don’t get hurt about it. My feelings don’t hurt at all. I hope there’s no negative comments. That’s not what I’m trying to do here.”
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When Cantlay and Schauffele met the media, they were asked for their version of what transpired and both expressed surprise at Kim’s accusation.
“I felt like Pat and I, we treated the Kims with the utmost respect,” Schauffele said. “We’re trying to quiet the crowds down when they were hitting. We’re trying to quiet the crowd – go back on film, quiet the crowds down when we were hitting. It was fair take, give and go.
“I have no clue if anyone was doing any of that. I don’t believe any of our guys would do something like that. So I’m not sure what he was hearing.”
Kim’s opponent in a Sunday singles match? American Sam Burns, who won’t back down from any negative comments he hears – even from the fans.
“If they’re going to come at me, why shouldn’t I go at them? That seems fair to me. If people are going to shout out behind ropes or whatever and say whatever they want, just because I’m inside of them doesn’t mean I can’t yell back at them,” Burns said. “I think there’s appropriate times for it. I think you’ve got to let them know that you’re not scared of what they say and you’re not afraid of a couple laughs with their buddies. They think they tell a good joke. So, yeah, I like it.”