Last month, Team USA secured an easy win against the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, but not without some drama.
Scottie Scheffler had a heated exchange with his buddy Tom Kim during their Thursday match.
Things got even more intense on Saturday. Si Woo and Tom Kim defeated Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark in the morning, then faced Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in the afternoon.
Saturday’s Drama Unfolds:
On hole 16, needing something special to tie, Si Woo made an incredible chip-in from a tough spot and copied Steph Curry’s “night night celebration.” This didn’t sit well with their rivals. Eventually, Cantlay sealed the match on the 18th hole, leading Clark to mock Kim’s celebration.
Afterward, Tom Kim mentioned he heard someone from Team USA “cursing at us” during that session at Royal Montreal—a claim denied by the Americans. Once things calmed down, Clark shared his perspective on Golf Digest’s The Loop podcast, defending his team’s actions.
Fans might think this rivalry adds excitement to the game!
Clark recounted how he and Bradley were frustrated after losing to Si Woo and Tom Kim earlier that day. He said they saw amazing play and lots of celebrations from their opponents. He also noted some antics not seen on TV that seemed extreme to him.
Resting in the afternoon session, Clark watched as Si Woo and Tom Kim competed against Schauffele and Cantlay. He insisted any cursing was aimed at themselves rather than their competitors: “We started seeing some of the best golf I’ve ever seen in a match.”
We’ve heard from both Tom Kim and his caddie Paul Tesori on CussGate at the Presidents Cup. This week, we got to ask Wyndham Clark, who many believed was at the forefront of it all, what his perspective was on the whole situation.
Here’s his (lengthy) answer:
— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14)
Clark explained why he mocked Si Woo’s celebration when his team won: “He did it right in front of Tony Finau and me,” said Clark. They thought it was odd since it was still a close game but decided if they won on 18, they’d return the gesture.
Tom Kim’s caddie Paul Tesori supported him by saying he witnessed US players getting personal with Tom three times and using bad language towards him—something no one wants.
In conclusion, despite all this tension, Team USA kept the cup with an 18.5 to 11.5 victory. Later on, Tom Kim apologized for his comments about Schauffele and US captain Jim Furyk: “I just told him like ‘hey…I’m sorry.'” What do you think about these heated moments?
