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Tom Kim has admitted he missed the anonymity of playing in tournaments without widespread television coverage after an embarrassing incident at Oak Hill.
Kim unwittingly provided the viral moment of day one of the US PGA Championship in Rochester, New York after an errant tee shot on the par-four sixth, his 15th of the day.
The world No.19, who shot an opening round of 73, thought he could play his ball from the edge of the hazard but discovered the ground was considerably softer and muddier than he anticipated.
Television footage captured Kim emerging with his legs covered in mud and kept rolling as he decided he may as well find a cleaner part of the creek in which to wash his legs and trousers.
“Are you kidding me?” Kim said, pulling down his white cap to hide his face upon leaving the scorer’s tent, where he was informed his dip into the mud went world wide.
“Unbelievable. All for a ball. I think the world has seen enough already of it.
“I hit it over in the mud and I was hoping I was able to find it. I wasn’t able to find it and there was a moment where my legs were inside the mud and I wasn’t able to get myself out for a minute.
“I was talking to Joe (Skovron, his caddie) and said I might as well go in the water and wash myself off and I took a bath over there. I’ve had better days for sure.”
The incident took place shortly before play was suspended late on Thursday evening and the 20-year-old South Korean had hoped there would be no footage, adding: “I miss the days when I played on a Tour without cameras.”
“It’s pretty embarrassing … I wouldn’t change it for the world because I don’t regret anything I did. I think I would have regretted it more not trying to go in there.
“Every single shot matters so much to me, and I’m going to try everything I can.”
Tom Kim plays a shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Adam Scott has let a golden round slip with a sloppy finish on a rough opening day for Australia’s golf stars at the US PGA Championship.
Scott signed for a two-under-par 68 to be well-placed tied for sixth at the weather-hit championship in Rochester, outside New York.
But the former world No.1 will be livid after leaving a ball in the bunker and taking a dreaded double-bogey six at the last hole.
Scott also missed a five-foot birdie putt on the 16th that would have given him the outright lead at the season’s second major.
Alas, barely half an hour later, he found himself three shots behind unheralded American Eric Cole.
Cole was five under through 14 holes before the horn sounded to signal the suspension of play after the championship’s start was earlier delayed almost two hours because of frost.
Bryson DeChambeau is the clubhouse leader after posting a four-under 66.
American former world No.1s Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler and Canadian Corey Connors are the only other players ahead of Scott after firing 67s.
Scott is the only Australian in red numbers after British Open champion Cameron Smith carded a two-over 72 and Jason Day crashed back to earth with a horror first-round 76.
Backing up from his drought-breaking victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship, Day flopped to leave himself 11 shots off the pace.
Day amassed a 23-under winning total last week in Texas but couldn’t manage a single birdie on Thursday.
The former world No.1 and 2015 PGA championship winner opted against playing a practice round at Oak Hill, preferring to save his energy, and now needs all he can muster on Friday just to make the halfway cut.
Starting on the 10th, Day’s troubles began when he drove out of bounds on the 14th and wound up with a double-bogey six.
He added four bogeys to be languishing in a tie for 117th spot in the 156-player field.
Scott avoided the early-morning freeze and, with three monster drives of 365 yards each, took full advantage of the more comfortable conditions until his last-hole mishap.
Playing in his 87th consecutive major, tying Tom Watson in second place behind only the great Jack Nicklaus’ 146, Scott charged to a share of the lead with five birdies and just one bogey in his first 14 holes.
But he lost momentum with a missed short putt on 16, then had to save par from almost six feet on 17 before finding the greenside trap on 18 and making a meal of the hole.
Cam Davis is the next-best Australian after starting with a 71 but will also be irritated after recording a double on the 17th having been under par for most of the day.
Smith mixed three birdies with five bogeys in his round of 72, while Min Woo Lee posted a 73 and Lucas Herbert shot 75.
Making his major championship, David Micheluzzi was seven over par through 15 holes before the stoppage.
The LIV Golf breakaways continue to defy the doubters with DeChambeau capturing the clubhouse lead and fellow heavyweight Dustin Johnson on his tail at the weather-marred US PGA Championship in New York.
After missing last year’s event following hand surgery, DeChambeau quickly made up for lost time with a four-under-par 66 at the notoriously difficult Oak Hill Country Club.
He had five birdies and just one bogey – after hitting fellow Kenny Pigman with a wild approach on the 17th – to earn a one-stroke buffer over Johnson, world No.2 Scottie Scheffler and Canadian Corey Connors.
“It’s a fantastic round of golf at Oak Hill. It’s a prestigious place. Very difficult golf course,” DeChambeau said.
“As I was looking at it throughout the week, I’m like, man, I don’t know how shooting under par is even possible out here on some of the golf holes.
“But, luckily, I was able to play some really good golf, hit a lot of fairways, did my job and made some putts.”
After joining LIV Golf, which offers no rankings points, the 2020 US Open champion tumbled to No.215 in the world.
But with joint runner-up finishes at last year’s Masters, DeChambeau’s rebel cohorts Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson made a mockery of the rankings as the LIV stars chase a first major trophy since the formation of the Saudi-backed league.
DeChambeau trails only fellow American Eric Cole, who still has four holes to play in his first round after darkness forced the suspension of play on Thursday night.
Fresh off winning LIV Golf Tulsa on Sunday, Johnson’s only bogey came under fading light at the last.
“I kind of grinded it out,” he said.
“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I felt like he managed the golf course very well and took advantage of the opportunities when I had it.
“Made some crucial saves there on the back side. Yeah, it was a good day. I hit a really nice putt on 18 that didn’t go in, but very pleased with how I played and the score I shot.”
Scheffler was also chuffed with his 67, his first bogey-free round at a major.
“There’s lots of tough holes out there and not really many birdie opportunities out there. This place is pretty tough,” he said.
New Zealander Ryan Fox is equal fourth with Scott, Keegan Bradley and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.
© AAP