South Korean PGA Tour player Tom Kim caused a stir after damaging his locker at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon following a frustrating playoff loss at the Genesis Championship on Sunday. The locker door, which was ripped off its hinges, drew significant attention. Kim later publicly apologized for the incident.
The Genesis Championship was co-hosted by the DP World Tour and the KPGA Tour. Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner, found himself in a playoff against fellow countryman An Byeong-hun. Kim was leading by one stroke heading into the final hole but missed a birdie putt on the par five, forcing a playoff with An. Both players returned to the 18th hole, where An made a birdie, while Kim suffered a bogey, resulting in his loss in the playoff. For An, this victory marked his first tournament win in nine years.
Tom Kim broke a locker room door after his narrow playoff loss at the Genesis Championship yesterday. This comes on the back of several instances where his frustrations have boiled over this year.
Tom immediately apologised to the KPGA officials and offered to pay for the… pic.twitter.com/libiWfXPCY
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) October 28, 2024
Tom Kim apologizes and takes full responsibility
Although Kim congratulated An after the loss, he later took out his frustration on his locker. There were reports that the KPGA was considering disciplinary action against him, but Kim insisted that the matter had already been resolved. He posted an apology on Instagram, clarifying that the damage was unintentional: “After the loss I was frustrated, yes absolutely… but I can assure you with absolute truth that I had no intent of damaging any part of the locker, not a single bit.” Kim also stated that he was willing to cover the repair costs and had reached out directly to the DP World Tour and the KPGA to address the situation.
Kim and An have already played as a team for South Korea at the Olympic Games in Paris this year and took part in the Presidents Cup together in Canada in September. For An, winning the Genesis Championship was his second title on the DP World Tour and marked the end of a successful season. The 33-year-old finished the year in 27th place in the world rankings and expressed his satisfaction with his performance: “It’s been a great year. I’ve put a lot of work in.”