Tom Kim faces possible disciplinary action after breaking locker door following Genesis Championship loss - Report
Tom Kim lost the Genesis Championship on Sunday in agonizing fashion. After narrowly missing a putt, he and Byeong Hun An went into a playoff. Kim couldn't match the latter's birdie which gave him a win. Kim was thus denied victory after being close across 18 holes on Sunday.
KIm's frustrations boiled over after play ended, and he reportedly broke a locker-room door at the venue. He has since apologized to the KPGA and offered to pay for the repair, but he is reportedly up for possible disciplinary action for his transgressions.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Yonhap News Agency of South Korea has reported that Kim may be facing "disciplinary action" even after his apology to the Korean PGA.
Kim has not commented publicly on the report. This is not the first time Kim has made headlines for his actions of late. Less than three months ago, he had to apologize for damaging a green in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He was also embroiled in controversy at the Presidents Cup after some alleged cursing between the two teams.
Meanwhile, An said of his victory over Kim (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."
The pair traded missed putts on the 17th and 18th holes. An missed a birdie on the 17th, which gave the advantage to Kim. But when An birdied the 18th, Kim's seven-foot putt went begging and forced the playoff. It was the second DP World Tour win for An.
Tom Kim previously criticized the "sportsmanship" of Presidents Cup rivals
Before Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An were facing off in a DP World Tour playoff at the Genesis Championship, they were teammates just a month ago for the Presidents Cup.
Kim said during the tournament that things were "feisty" while facing the Americans. It was one of a few controversies that have followed Kim lately. The US team would go on to win the tournament once more. He said (via Golf.com),
“I think the start of the round was definitely a little harder [to stay energized], but as it got towards the end, it got a little feisty out there. I could hear some players cursing at us. That part wasn’t really — I don’t think there was good sportsmanship there. But it’s all part of the fun. I understand it. So the U.S. team definitely motivated us to go out there.”
There were a lot of criticisms and accusations following this. An also entered the fray when he tweeted about Wyndham Clark's behavior and perceived lack of contribution to the American side. He deleted the tweet later.