Xander Schauffele refuted Tom Kim’s claim that Team USA players were swearing at him and his International team-mate Si Woo Kim at the Presidents Cup. Tension was sparked between the golfers on Day Two of the tournament on Saturday during action on the seventh hole as the International Team attempted to recover from an 8-6 deficit while taking on Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
Team USA’s putt was conceded and after Si Woo’s ball ended up within three feet of the hole, the International team-mates had hoped that their prior courtesy would be reproduced. However, that wasn’t the case as Kim was forced to tap the ball home from close range.
Seemingly annoyed with the actions of his opponents, the 22-year-old decided to showcase his frustration with the US golfers by placing his putter on the ground to demonstrate the minimal distance between the ball and the hole.
Kim’s antics was missed by the very people he’d perhaps wanted to see as when his ball dropped into the hole, Cantlay and Schauffele had already started making their way to the eighth hole. It was only his teammate Si Woo who witnessed his display of defiance.
After the action where he and Si Woo were defeated by the US team, Kim called out the sportsmanship of the golfers and went as far as to claim that players were swearing at them. “I could hear some players cursing at us,” he said. “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.”
Kim was asked whether his anger was due to “sportsmanship issues” to which he responded: “No, absolutely not. I do it too. You see me out there throwing fistpumps and jumping on the green. It’s all part of it, I get it. I just don’t think there’s a need to look at someone and curse at them. I just don’t think there’s a need for it.
“I understand it. I don’t get hurt about it. My feelings don’t hurt at all. I hope there’s no negative comments. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. I just feel like there’s always little things, like what could I have done better? It’s just certain things like that.”
During his time talking to the media, Schauffele was made aware of Kim’s swearing claim as the two-time major champion denied that any of his team-mates would commit such acts. “I felt like Pat and I treated the Kims with the utmost respect, we were trying to quiet the crowds doing when they were hitting, it was fair take, give and go,” the 30-year-old said.
“I have no clue if anyone was doing any of that, I don’t believe any of our guys would do something like that, so I’m not sure what he was hearing.” With the Presidents Cup coming to a close on Sunday (September 29), Team USA are projected to win as they’re currently 11-7 up.
