Scottie Scheffler and South Korea’s Tom Kim were involved
in a spat as the United States swept to a 5-0 Presidents Cup lead over the
International team.
World number one Scheffler and partner Russell Henley beat
Kim and Im Sung-jae 3&2 as the Americans won all the opening fourballs in
Canada.
Tempers flared after Kim celebrated a 27-foot birdie putt at
the par-three seventh with a fist-pump and shouted "let’s go".
Scheffler responded with his own birdie to halve the hole
and yelled: “What was that?” towards his friend.
Kim celebrated strongly again when he sunk a long putt to
birdie the eighth and then controversially left the hole for the adjacent ninth
tee before Scheffler’s birdie attempt, which he missed.
"They took gamesmanship too far and over the line on
sportsmanship and lost some integrity," US assistant captain Kevin Kisner
told the Golf Channel.
Sky Sports golf pundit Paul McGinley called it
“disrespectful” but Kim said: "There was no reason to stay there and look
at him putt. It doesn't help us at all.
"It wasn't trying to be cheap or do anything like that.
We were focused on our own game.
“He's a good friend. But at the same time, this week I don't
like him. I want to beat him so bad, and I'm sure he feels the same way."
Masters champion Scheffler suggested Kim had “poked the
bear” but sought to play down their exchange.
"I would have done the same thing back at home. It's
all in good fun. We're friends after. We're not friends during,” he said.
US team dominate in Montreal
The US have won the past nine editions of the biennial
contest, with their opponents triumphing just once in 14 attempts, and Jim
Furyk's side romped into a commanding lead, external at
Royal Montreal Golf Club in Quebec.
Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele were one-up winners over An
Byeong-hun and Jason Day in the top game, with Collin Morikawa and Sahith
Theegala winning by the same margin against Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott.
Scheffler and Henley extended the lead before Wyndham Clark
and Keegan Bradley defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Taylor Pendrith on the
final hole while Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns beat Hideki Matsuyama and Corey
Conners 2&1.
Kim will not feature in Friday's foursomes matches, which
open with Americans Cantlay and Schauffele against Matsuyama and Im Sung-jae
followed by Morikawa and Theegala against Scott and Pendrith.
Max Homa and Brian Harman will face Day and Bezuidenhout,
Finau and Clark meet Conners and Mackenzie Hughes and Scheffler joins Henley
against An and Kim Si-woo.
