MONTREAL – Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler are such good friends that during the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Dallas, Scheffler’s parents came out to follow Kim play even though their son was at home expecting the birth of their first child. But at the Presidents Cup, the biennial competition between 12-man teams from the U.S. and an International Team composed of the rest of the world (excluding Europe), their friendship is put on hold.
“For one week I absolutely dislike him,” Kim said on Tuesday during his media session ahead of the competition.
But Kim didn’t shy away from competing against Scheffler, the world No. 1, who beat him in a sudden-death playoff at the Travelers Championship in June. He and Sungjae Im, an all-Korean pairing, had all they could handle in Scheffler and his partner, Presidents Cup rookie Russell Henley, who notched a 3-and-2 victory at Royal Montreal Golf Club in the match that had the most theatrics and even got a little chippy.
That wasn’t the only win for the U.S., who grabbed a 5-0 lead, marking just the third time the opening session of the Presidents Cup has been swept, both times by the U.S. in 1994 and 2000.
Are you not entertained?! 🍿@JoohyungKim0621 and Scottie Scheffler bringing the juice @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/BUfKwO97JO
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 26, 2024
Two years ago, the U.S. took a commanding 4-1 lead during the opening session and never looked back. International Team Captain Mike Weir made the logical choice to make four-ball the first session given that the side had won that format in every Presidents Cup held outside the U.S., but not this time. Weir’s team face an even steeper deficit to overcome.
Kim, who had his coming out party two years ago at the Presidents Cup with his youthful exuberance, hadn’t had any reason to pump his fists as the U.S. took a 2-up lead thru six holes. During a practice round, Kim celebrated a putt by running around a green with his arms spread wide like an airplane.
“There was a lot of trash talking going on. Once I made it, I had to react at it,” he explained.
Asked if he would celebrate in similar fashion this week, he said, “Absolutely. You’ll see it,” and added, “I feel like it’s that one aspect when you can actually run around the green and not get crap for it.”
To no surprise, Kim tried to get the home crowd pumped up when he poured in a 28-foot birdie putt at the par-3 seventh. He clenched his fists and yelled, “C’mon!…
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