Scheffler-Kim spat as US surge to 5-0 lead

27th Sep 2024 | Source: BBC

Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler are friends off the course

Scottie Scheffler and South Korea’s Tom Kim were involved in a spat as the United States swept to a 5-0 Presidents Cup lead over the International team.

World number one Scheffler and partner Russell Henley beat Kim and Im Sung-jae 3&2 as the Americans won all the opening fourballs in Canada.

Tempers flared after Kim celebrated a 27-foot birdie putt at the par-three seventh with a fist-pump and shouted "let’s go".

Scheffler responded with his own birdie to halve the hole and yelled: “What was that?” towards his friend.

Kim celebrated strongly again when he sunk a long putt to birdie the eighth and then controversially left the hole for the adjacent ninth tee before Scheffler’s birdie attempt, which he missed.

"They took gamesmanship too far and over the line on sportsmanship and lost some integrity," US assistant captain Kevin Kisner told the Golf Channel.

Sky Sports golf pundit Paul McGinley called it “disrespectful” but Kim said: "There was no reason to stay there and look at him putt. It doesn't help us at all.

"It wasn't trying to be cheap or do anything like that. We were focused on our own game.

“He's a good friend. But at the same time, this week I don't like him. I want to beat him so bad, and I'm sure he feels the same way."

Masters champion Scheffler suggested Kim had “poked the bear” but sought to play down their exchange.

"I would have done the same thing back at home. It's all in good fun. We're friends after. We're not friends during,” he said.

US team dominate in Montreal

The US have won the past nine editions of the biennial contest, with their opponents triumphing just once in 14 attempts, and Jim Furyk's side romped into a commanding lead, external at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Quebec.

Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele were one-up winners over An Byeong-hun and Jason Day in the top game, with Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala winning by the same margin against Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott.

Scheffler and Henley extended the lead before Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Taylor Pendrith on the final hole while Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns beat Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners 2&1.

Kim will not feature in Friday's foursomes matches, which open with Americans Cantlay and Schauffele against Matsuyama and Im Sung-jae followed by Morikawa and Theegala against Scott and Pendrith.

Max Homa and Brian Harman will face Day and Bezuidenhout, Finau and Clark meet Conners and Mackenzie Hughes and Scheffler joins Henley against An and Kim Si-woo.