Tom Kim apologizes about heated controversy against Xander Schauffele- "Didn't think it would be so negative"
South Korean golfer Tom Kim was involved in multiple controversies during the recent 2024 Presidents Cup. First, he had a brief altercation with Scottie Scheffler, followed by a dispute with Xander Schauffele.
The International Team's Kim and Si Woo Kim faced off against the US duo of Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay on Saturday. The foursomes match in round 4 became heated, extending beyond the golf course as Schauffele and Kim disagreed on the treatment of the International pair during the match.
However, recently Kim mentioned in a press conference that he had apologized to Schauffele and US captain Jim Furyk. Here's what he said via ASAP Sports:
"I just told him like, hey, I didn't mean it to go in such a negative way. If it did, I just said I'm sorry."
He added:
"So I went to him and I said, I didn't mean it that way. I apologize if it came out wrongly. It was just this and this happened, but if it affected you guys so negatively, I really do apologize. I didn't mean to do it in that way,"
The 22-year-old clarified his stance, saying that both Cantlay and Schauffele had always shown "good sportsmanship," and it was "a little misunderstanding on his part."
"It was just outside the ropes, and I felt like that was a little misunderstanding on my part, which I should have explained better,"
Schauffele has yet to comment on the issue.
What happened between Tom Kim and Xander Schauffele at the 2024 Presidents Cup?
In the foursome event of round 4, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim of the International team were up against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay of the US.
On the seventh hole, the International Team was trailing 8-6. As the match continued, the US team conceded their putt. Si Woo Kim's shot landed just three feet from the hole, and the International duo may have expected Schauffele and Cantlay to reciprocate the earlier gesture of sportsmanship.
However, the US team did not reciprocate, and Kim had to putt out despite the short distance. Frustrated, Kim performed a silent protest by leaving his putt on the ground to highlight the proximity of the ball to the hole. However, his opponents were unaware of his dissent, having already moved on to the eighth hole as Kim's ball fell into the cup.
The game ended on the 18th hole with Schauffele and Cantlay emerging victorious. However, the feud between the two pairs didn't end there, as Kim later accused unnamed US players for "cursing" at them and felt that there was a lack of sportsmanship.
However, Schauffele disagreed with Kim's perspective, asserting that he and Cantlay treated the International duo with the utmost respect. The US golfer added that they were attempting to quiet the crowd while their opponents were hitting.
The US team ultimately won the Presidents Cup for the tenth consecutive time, securing a decisive victory with a final score of 18.5 to 11.5.