Tom Kim may face discipline for breaking door at Genesis Championship

The KPGA is considering opening a disciplinary committee for Tom Kim after he broke a locker room door at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea on Sunday.

Tom Kim tees off on the sixth hole during the final round of the Genesis Championship at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

The KPGA is considering opening a disciplinary committee for PGA star Tom Kim for vandalizing a locker room door at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon after losing a playoff to fellow PGA veteran An Byeong-hun at the Genesis Championship on Sunday.

The two PGA veterans competed in the tournament co-sanctioned by the KPGA and DP World Tour and tied at 17-under-par, 271, forcing a playoff on the par-5 18th hole.

An carded a birdie, while Kim made a bogey, finishing as a runner-up.

Kim congratulated An despite the loss, but after he returned to his locker room, he reportedly expressed frustration by opening the locker room door quickly, which ended up damaging it.

Kim told Korean newspaper Sports Donga on Monday that it was his fault and he will reflect on his action.

The KPGA is set to pay for the vandalized door first and make Kim compensate it for the expense later. The association is also examining holding a disciplinary committee for the 22-year-old.

Kim is one of the most successful Korean golfers competing on the PGA Tour, where he has won three titles.

Since turning pro in 2018, he has shone on international tours and started competing on the PGA Tour from the 2021-22 season.

The PGA star won his first PGA title at the Wyndham Championship in August 2022 and rose to further prominence in October that year, when he won the Shriners Children’s Open and became the second-youngest golfer to win two PGA titles behind Ralph Guldahl and the first player to win twice on the Tour before the age of 21 since Tiger Woods.

Kim also won the Shriners Children’s Open again in October 2023 and saw an impressive start to the 2024 season with two top-10 finishes so far.

He also represented Korea in the men’s golf competition at the Paris Olympics this summer, where he finished in eighth place and failed to secure a bronze medal or higher that would have earned him a military exemption.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL, PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]