Things are getting spicy between close friends at The Presidents Cup.
Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler had a heated exchange in the middle of their four-ball match in Montreal on Thursday on the first day of the event that pits Americans against an International team.
Kim holed a lengthy putt on the 8th hole and let out a raucous celebration.
Scheffler answered with a long putt of his own to halve the hole before shouting in Kim’s direction, “What was that?”
On the ninth hole a similar script was unfolding.
Kim jarred a lengthy putt for birdie with Scheffler having a look to tie. However, Kim and his partner Sung-Jae Im left the ninth green as Scheffler was sizing up the putt — a move that is considered bad form for these competitions.
“Well, that’s bordering on bad behavior,” Golf Channel analyst Paul McGinley said. “That’s disrespectful in my opinion. I know it’s competitive out there, but that certainly shows you that there is an underlying edge here that it’s not all fun and games.”
Scheffler would miss the putt and give Kim and Im the hole to cut Scheffler and partner Russell Henley’s lead to one-up as the match headed for the back nine.
After the incident, vice-captains Kevin Kisner and Camilo Villegas had a conversation that did not appear friendly, according to the broadcast.
Kisner texted Golf Channel analyst Brad Faxon that he told Villegas, “If you are going to do that, then game on.”
The Presidents Cup does not have the same level of intensity as the Ryder Cup, which pits the US against Europe.
However, Kim injected some life into the event two years ago with emotional celebrations at Quail Hollow.
Kim, who was born in South Korea, now lives close to Scheffler in Dallas.
The two are extremely close off the course.
“Man we tried.. we gave it everything but just wasn’t quite enough,” Kim wrote on Instagram after Scheffler beat him in a playoff at The Travelers Championship in June. “Congrats (Scheffler) you deserve everything youve accomplished, you are a true champion but even a greater friend.”