Justin Thomas was ‘pissed’ with Si Woo Kim at the Presidents Cup
The United States’ victory in the Presidents Cup on Sunday was never in doubt, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t without drama.
In the first singles match of the day, Justin Thomas and Si Woo Kim held a home-and-away duel which the South Korean won 1-up. It was Kim’s celebration on the 15th hole that pissed Thomas off.
After Kim tied Thomas with a par – with both players making putts of around 7ft – he silenced the American crowd at Quail Hollow and landed an emphatic punch. NBC cameras then flashed on Thomas, who had already started his walk to the next tee and he looked enraged by Kim’s actions as he continued on.
“Honestly, at the time, I was pretty pissed off,” Thomas told Golf Channel after the USA 17.-5-12.5 triumph.
“I think when you’re in the moment, when you’re on the other side, that’s something that kind of motivates you, kinda puffs you up.”
The tension in the match had started on the 13th hole when Kim opted not to concede a par 3-foot putt to the American. Patrick Reed silenced the Ryder Cup crowd in Scotland in 2014 to start the trend.
“I saw that Patrick had done it before,” Kim said, “and yeah, JT punched me, and then I had to do it. And I had to do it, and I did it. I did. Then, like, yeah, I had to do something. I think that gives me more energy.
Kim had one of the most successful weeks for the international team, going 3-1 in her matches.
Justin Thomas pulls away from the 15th hole.
Justin Thomas and Si Woo Kim during their Presidents Cup match on September 25, 2022.
Justin Thomas and Si Woo Kim shake hands after the match.
“I mean, he hit the shots and made the putts better than me the last three holes or, really, the last nine holes when he needed to,” Thomas said. “So I can say what I want about it, but he beat me, so he’s got the better of me. But we won the Cup, so that’s all that matters.
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