We’re not in Texas anymore.
Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler are friends back in Dallas, where both golfers make their home, but this is Montreal and the Presidents Cup and the young star saw a different side of the world No. 1 at Royal Montreal on Thursday.
On a day that lacked energy for the struggling home team, Kim attempted to give partner Sungjae Im and his International teammates a boost after making a birdie when 2-down in a match versus Team USA’s Scheffler and Russell Henley.
After rolling in a birdie putt from 27 1/2 feet on the par-3 seventh hole, Kim let loose a, “C’mon! Let’s go!”
Unfortunately for the young South Korean, Scheffler dropped a 27-footer seconds later on the same line for a birdie of his own. Scheffler looked over at his opponents and yelled, “What was that?!”
If there was a lesson to learn, Kim wasn’t interested as one hole later, after making another long birdie on eighth hole, the 22-year-old pumped his fist and delivered another, “C’mon!” right beside Scheffler, who calmly reached into the hole and handed the youngster the ball without even a glance.
NBC reporter John Wood said during the television broadcast that following the eighth hole, International assistant captain Camilo Villegas and U.S. assistant Kevin Kisner exchanged words after Kim and Im walked to the ninth tee before the Americans had finished putting.
“I’m not sure what was said, but it didn’t look all that friendly,” Wood said.
Scheffler and Henley won the match 3-and-2 over Kim and Im.
“That was a bit of fun,” Scheffler said of the exchange. “It’s the same thing I would have done at home if he had made a putt and we were playing (the betting game) Wolf and he celebrated like that. So it’s all in good fun. We enjoy competing against each other.”
After a 5-0 sweep by Team USA on Thursday, unfortunately this might be as good as it gets this week.
“It’s just on me,” Kim said of the match. “I feel like I could have done a better job as a partner.”