2024 has been a year of trials and tribulations for Tom Kim, the 22-year-old South Korean star who lost to Byeong Hun An in a playoff on Sunday in his native country.
Kim had an opportunity to win in regulation but lipped out a birdie try on the 72nd hole. He let another chance at victory slip away, resulting in an emotional outburst after his round. According to the Yonhap News Agency of South Korea, Kim broke the door of a locker and would consequently face disciplinary action from the Korean PGA and the DP World Tour.
Yet, Kim squashed that notion on social media on Monday.
“There has been a lot of speculation about the incident after my round yesterday at the Genesis Championship in my home country. There has been a lot of false reporting, and I wanted to clean things up. It’s important that the information comes directly from me, openly, and honestly. After the loss I was frustrated, yes absolutely… but I can assure you with absolute truth that I had no intent of damaging any part of the locker not a single bit,” Kim wrote in an Instagram post.
“I addressed with the DP World Tour and the KPGA right after the incident, saying that the door came off. We had to fully pull it out due to safety reasons, I also let them know that I was willing to pay all expenses for the damage.”
Kim added that the matter “was considered closed” and that he would not face any disciplinary action contrary to the original report. He also noted to everyone that he apologizes “with all my heart.”
His latest defeat marked the second time he lost in extra holes this season. Scottie Scheffler defeated Kim in a playoff at the Travelers Championship in June. Outside of that, Kim posted only two top-10s on the PGA Tour despite playing in 24 events. He even played nine straight weeks at one point, as the Travelers Championship marked his eighth event in a row.
Kim also put forth a valiant effort at the Presidents Cup, where he tried to will his International side to victory. Yet, Kim alleged that an American player cursed at him during the matches. He also accused the U.S. of poor sportsmanship, which became a story in and of itself. But in the end, the U.S. won again, sending the Internationals home with their heads hung low for a 10th consecutive time.
One month before, Kim left Memphis feeling rather gloomy, too. He closed his final round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship with three straight sixes, dropping him outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings to 51st. Whoever finishes among the top 50 qualifies for all eight Signature Events in 2025, so Kim falling short of this threshold stung quite a bit.
So, too, did his latest loss. But Kim, known for his affectionate and affable personality, took responsibility for his mistake and placed matters in his own hands.
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.
