PGA Tour Star Tom Kim Breaks Locker Room Door After Playoff Loss in South Korea

The three-time PGA Tour winner lost on the first playoff hole at a DP World Tour event to fellow South Korean Byeong Hun An and the frustration boiled over.
Tom Kim of South Korea looks dejected after losing the first playoff hole against Byeong Hun An at the 2024 Genesis Championship.
Tom Kim of South Korea looks dejected after losing the first playoff hole against Byeong Hun An at the 2024 Genesis Championship. / Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images

PGA Tour star Tom Kim may face disciplinary action from the Korea Professional Golfers' Association after he broke a locker room door out of frustration following his playoff loss at the DP World Tour's Genesis Championship on Sunday, according to the JoongAng Daily in South Korea.

On the first playoff hole against fellow South Korean Byeong Hun An at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, Kim faced an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th with the chance to push the event to a second playoff hole. The ball lipped out at the last second and An won.

For An, the victory marked his first professional win in nine years. The 33-year-old had a solid season on the PGA Tour in 2023-24 with four top-10 finishes as well as top-20 finishes in two of the four major championships.

Kim, on the other hand, didn't take the loss well. After the agonizing loss, according to the Korean news outlet Yonhap, he took out his frustrations on the locker room door.

In response to the news coming out about Kim's locker room behavior, he took to his Instagram account to post a statement.

Kim specified in the post that he spoke to the tour immediately after the incident and has offered to pay damages. It's unclear if Kim's potential resitution would be in place of any disciplinary action.


Published |Modified
Matt Vincenzi
MATT VINCENZI

Matt Vincenzi is an SI contributor covering golf. Before joining SI, he worked as a golf writer for GolfWRX and the Action Network. He is a graduate of Bridgewater State University and has been covering professional golf for five years.