This is how the Presidents Cup becomes a better competitive atmosphere that invokes passion and emotion, just like its more popular and historic elder brother, the Ryder Cup.
Less than two hours after players hit their opening tee shots at Royal Montreal, Thursday’s Fourball matches reached an apex on the 7th hole, where Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim each faced birdie tries from 27 feet above the hole.
Kim played first since his ball was seven inches farther away than Scheffler’s.
The 22-year-old South Korean, who burst onto the stage at the 2022 Presidents Cup thanks to his unrivaled passion, drained the putt, letting out a roar reverberating across Quebec. His birdie sent the International fans into a frenzy around the green, as Kim looked like he had cut the American deficit from 2-up to 1-up through seven holes.
But then, Scheffler, who has developed a killer instinct, one not unlike Tiger Woods, stepped up on a similar line and matched Kim’s birdie.
Scheffler then turned towards Kim, screaming, “What was that!?” just as his ball descended into the hole to match Kim’s two.
On the next hole, the par-4 8th, Kim drained another long-range birdie, cutting the American lead to 1-up. Kim also gave it right back to Scheffler, using his passion to fire himself up. He also wanted to let the World No. 1 know he was not going anywhere. The Canadian fans also relished his second straight birdie as they serenaded Kim with cheers once again.
But then a strange moment happened. Kim and playing partner Sungjae Im walked off the green before Scheffler putted out.
“That’s bordering on bad behavior. That’s disrespectful, in my opinion,” said Golf Channel commentator Paul McGinley on the broadcast.
“I know it’s competitive out there, but it certainly shows you there’s an underlying edge here that it’s not all fun and games.”
Scheffler and playing partner Russell Henley lead Kim and Im 1-up through 11 holes as of this writing. Scheffler and Kim also traded birdies on the 10th hole, confirming that their match is the most entertaining one of the day.
Of course, despite the incident on the 8th green, you hope these exchanges are all in good fun. Scheffler and Kim are best friends who happen to share the same birthday. They are glued to each other’s hips throughout the PGA Tour season, and their close-knit relationship was on full display at the Olympics in Paris. Scheffler embraced Kim after the final round, providing encouragement and support after the South Korean had a tough day at Le Golf National.
Nevertheless, these two friends want nothing more than to beat each other on the course at the Presidents Cup, which is great for the competition and golf fans worldwide.
More of this passion, please!
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
