Scottie Scheffler shows true colours after screaming at Tom Kim
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler claimed what transpired between himself and Tom Kim during the first day of the Presidents Cup was 'just a bit of fun'.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler claimed what transpired on the opening day of the 2024 Presidents Cup was 'just a bit of fun'.
Scheffler was involved in two notable exchanges with Tom Kim in the first fourball session at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Quebec, Canada.
Kim sent the home crowd into a frenzy on Thursday morning when he drained a long-range birdie putt at the par-4 7th hole.
Scheffler responded with a birdie of his own to tie the hole and immediately turned around and screamed at Kim.
Hot mics picked up the reigning Masters champion bellowing: "What was that? HUH?!"
At the very next hole, Kim managed to hole another miraculous long-range birdie putt.
But he left some golf fans incandescent with rage after he marched off to the next tee box with his playing partner Sungjae Im before Scheffler putted out.
Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said their behaviour was 'disrespectful'.
Scheffler eventually missed and, before the next tee shots were struck, U.S. assistant Kevin Kisner made his feelings known to his International counterpart Camilo Villegas.
According to on-course commentator John Wood, the words used weren't pleasant.
Scheffler and Russell Henley eventually closed out their match 3&2 on a dominant first session for Jim Furyk's dozen.
For his part, he told Golf Channel's Damon Hack that what occurred was just a bit of fun.
He said he would have reacted similarly had Kim behaved the same way in a private, friendly game of 'Wolf'.
"So it's all in good fun," he added. "We enjoy competing against each other.
"That's what it's like out here. It's fun to compete and fun to represent our country, and at the end of the match you take your hat off and shake hands.
"We're friends after, we're not friends during, I guess."
Scheffler said he didn't see Kim walk to the next tee box.
Henley said he did and that he wasn't happy with the two golfers.
"To be fair to them walking off, I did like scream at them on the hole," Scheffler said.
"I'm not going to say it was their fault, you know what I mean?"
Kim and Scheffler are known to be extremely close friends on the PGA Tour.
Scheffler got the better of Kim earlier in the season, defeating the South Korean in a thrilling playoff at the Travelers Championship.
That playoff was disrupted by Just Stop Oil protesters.
