Presidents Cup 2024: Tom Kim and Sungjae Im’s ‘offensive’ move was not their decision, according to reports | Golf news and tour information

Tom Kim and Sungjae Im’s decision to leave the eighth green at Royal Montral and head to the ninth tee while Scottie Scheffler still made a birdie putt during the Fourball match caused quite a stir on the first day of the Presidents Cup. Made-up confusion and so few topics for discussion after Thursday’s 5-0 defeat against the USA? Bright. And yet there is confusion.

In fact, NBC analyst Paul McGinley decided to withdraw immediately before either team scored a single point. “It borders on bad behavior,” McGinley said. “I think it’s disrespectful.”

Later in the evening on Golf Channel’s “Live From,” Brandel Chamblee agreed with McGinley, who was absent from the show after calling golf all day. His successor, Johnson Wagner, also called Kim and Im’s move disrespectful and added that he “hated” players doing this to him during his PGA Tour career. “The only excuse is you have to go to the bathroom,” Wagner said.

As it turns out, according to Golf Channel reporter Todd Lewis, the international team showed no disrespect by leaving Scheffler on the No. 8 green. There wasn’t a shred of good play either. In fact, it wasn’t their idea at all – it was a call from deputy captain Camilo Villegas.

Lewis, who spoke to the 42-year-old Colombian, reports that Villegas pulled Kim and me aside after birdieing the eighth and told them to move to the ninth tee so as not to “escalate” the scuffle between Kim and Scheffler. Just a hole earlier, Kim made a long birdie putt and celebrated loudly, and Scheffler holed in his birdie putt and shouted, “WHAT WAS THAT?!” towards Kim.

That’s when, as Lewis recalls in the video below, U.S. vice-captain Kevin Kisner stepped in, taking offense at Villegas’ move and calling it bush league:

As with almost all golf-related controversies, this one seems a bit overblown, which is understandable when all drama was removed from the event after the first day. However, one thing is certain – motivating the No. 1 player in the world by playing any way is probably not the smartest move, especially when your team is already in a very weak position.