Tom Kim defends himself against 'false reporting' after breaking locker at Genesis Championship
Reports have suggested that Tom Kim broke a locker room door following a close playoff loss in the Genesis Championship. According to the reports, the broken door was a result of some frustration on the part of Kim, who missed a putt to win on the 18th hole.
According to the golfer, this is not exactly an accurate assessment. Kim released a statement on his Instagram account which said:
"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 to me that the information comes directly from me, open and honestly."
He confirmed that he was frustrated after the loss, but that he had "no intent" of damaging any part of the locker. He said he immediately addressed the issue with the KPGA and the DP World Tour and they had to pull the door out for safety reasons.
Kim continued:
"I also let them know that I was willing to pay all expenses for the damage. There has also been speculation about disciplinary action. I spoke to the Tour immediately after the incident. After my apology and offer to pay damages, the matter was considered closed."
He finished by thanking people for reaching out to him and added his apology to everyone that he "let down" with all his heart.
Byeong Hun An opens up on win over Tom Kim
The reason Tom Kim was frustrated, as he admitted, was his loss to Byeong Hun An in the DP World Tour event, the Genesis Championship. It was in Kim's home country and he lost a golden chance to win.
Kim and An traded places on the 17th and 18th holes. An missed a putt that gave Kim the advantage going into the 18th but responded with a birdie. Kim's seven-foot putt went awry, leading to a playoff. An birdied that to capture the win.
The golfer later said (via ESPN):
"It's a sweet ending for this year. It's been a great year. I've put a lot of work in it. It will be the same next week when I get back, another offseason that I have to work hard for to be better next year."
Kim is playing now because he didn't make it as far as he needed to in the FedEx Cup playoffs and he's been playing both PGA Tour and DP World Tour events throughout the fall. Unfortunately, his trip back home was mired in a difficult loss and controversy.