“You’re entitled to your opinion but you’re wrong” - PGA Tour pro Michael Kim sounds off on fan who suggested him to change his caddie
Michael Kim is one of the more active golfers on X, and he took to the platform to discuss what he experienced at the Zurich Classic. He and KH Lee didn't finish at the top of the leaderboard, but they did have a good showing that left Kim with a good taste. It was a great experience for many reasons, one of which was that the difference in format allowed Kim to play more freely.
That was when a fan responded to Kim, suggesting he make a pretty massive change:
"This will sound direct but you need a new caddie. Someone who creates the same atmosphere as this weekend when you step up to a massive shot. Sure, I'm just a weekend warrior. But [I] wholeheartedly believe a caddie can unlock your best self," the fan wrote.
Kim hit back:
"This will sound direct and you're entitled to your opinion but you're wrong," they said.
But that wasn't where the discussion ended. The X user said Kim had cited being less timid as a positive in the Zurich Classic format, which also made him play better. It was freeing and the fan didn't know why Kim wouldn't at least consider that a caddie who made him less timid might not be a good choice all year long:
"Stating new caddie was too much. But learnings can certainly come by viewing through my lens," they added.
Then Kim posed the question to the user. If they were his caddie, what would be different? The answer was simple:
"And I think that confidence is rare, but can achieved with the right mentors... I should have stated it's a very real emotional journey most players go through, and the right player-caddie relationship can make the world of a difference," the fan responded.
Kim ended the conversation with this:
"While some of your points are valid, you don’t seem to understand the player/caddie relationship and you’re making a lot of big assumptions off of a quick summary tweet," he wrote.
Kim usually interacts with fans, and he took the time to have a conversation with someone others would've ignored. He didn't agree with what the fan was saying, but he decided to hear him out and see where things went.
Michael Kim shares how pros ask for Zurich partner
It's not the easiest thing to find a partner for the one PGA Tour event that has teams. The Zurich Classic requires players to link up, which means each one that wants to play must find a partner.
Michael Kim, who ended up with KH Lee, said it was like asking them on a date:
"First, you ask if they have a partner and if they’re thinking of playing the tournament. Most players don’t ask someone who’s totally out of their league, unless they’re very good friends. I really enjoy playing this tournament so I asked KH pretty early in the yr to get it set up. It’s always interesting looking at the pairings sheet to see who is paired up with who."
Things went well with his partner and Kim ultimately had a positive experience at the event.