Tom Kim issues apology for damaging TPC Southwind green, says he ‘didn’t realise’ how big a mark he left

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[PHOTO: Mike Mulholland]

Tom Kim had a no good, terrible, very bad Sunday at TPC Southwind. The (formerly?) affable tour pro teed off on the 16th hole sitting 46th in the FedEx Cup standings, within the top-50 and seemingly on the verge of qualifying for the BMW Championship. Then he imploded. Kim finished bogey-double-double, becoming the most gut-wrenching casualty of the FedEx Cup’s second cutdown.

The trouble didn’t start on 16, however. Kim’s frustration had been building all afternoon, including a now-controversial incident on the 12th hole, where Kim swung his putter into the green after missing a short putt. The outburst damaged the green – a cardinal sin among golfers – and Kim compounded the error by not repairing the mark.

Almost overnight, Kim went from one of the most likeable players on tour to public enemy numero uno. Golf fans chided him on social media and called for a reprimand from the PGA Tour, with some even going so far as to suggest suspension. It was reported that Kim’s caddie Paul Tesori eventually went back and fixed the mark, but the damage to the green (and potentially Kim’s reputation) was done.

On Monday night, Kim finally responded to the backlash, posting an apology of sorts to his Instagram, calling his actions “clearly wrong” and claiming that he didn’t realise the severity of the damage he had done to the green in the moment.

The other relevant note in Kim’s apology was him thanking fans for their “support throughout a tough year”. Kim narrowly missed a medal at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, which would have exempted him from South Korea’s mandatory military service, and has posted just two top-10s in 23 starts this season. That doesn’t necessarily excuse Kim’s on-course behaviour at the FedEx St Jude Championship, and you might not buy his apology, but it at least makes his actions feel human.