The first session of the Presidents Cup might have been close – the 5-0 overall margin doesn’t give away the entire picture – but Tom Kim feels it could’ve been better. If only the team had more support from the spectators. In Canada, the expectation was higher. 

Jason Day was getting ‘home crowd’ vibes. Canadians weren’t expected to be as star-struck as South Korean or even Australian crowds had been. But Kim felt the decibels could’ve been much higher. The South Korean, along with Sungjae Im, conceded the third match to Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley 3&2, the largest margin from the first session.

Speaking to the media after the Fourballs, the three-time PGA Tour winner said, “Like Taylor said, I think it was a little too quiet today being on home soil. I don’t think the fans were really — I wish they would have helped us out a bit more, especially being in Canada. I know how much they love golf. I’m definitely expecting more crowds to be louder and for them to be on our side.” Kim is definitely looking forward to feeding off the crowd.

Canadian Taylor Pendrith felt the same as well. “We need to get louder, I think, the next few days here and really feel the home support,” mentioned the 33-year-old in the same press conference. Moreover, Kim and Scheffler too had no dearth of fireworks inside the ropes.

 The banter was consistent among the two friends. “What was that?” Scottie Scheffler yelled at Kim after responding to Kim’s birdie with one of his own on the 7th. Of course, Tom Kim led the first charge by fist-pumping. Perhaps a little too close to big brother, Scheffler.

Kim, though, was expecting it; that’s how the world no.1 plays, even during practice matches. And Scheffler made no hiding of it either. “Yeah, that was a bit of fun. It’s the same thing I would have done at home if he had made a putt and we were playing ‘Wolf’ and he celebrated like that,” Scheffler said. Kim just wished that the crowds were also on the same wavelength.

Two Dallas boys went toe-to-toe like they did a few months back. Although Scheffler said it was all in good spirits, not everyone thought so, as Kim & Im were accused of ‘disrespect’ by a famed analyst. 

Tom Kim walked away while Scheffler was putting

The drama on the seventh spilled over to the next hole. Strangely enough, Kim and Im, decided to walk to the next tee, while Scheffler was lining up his putt. ‘Bordering on bad behavior,’ DP World Tour icon, and current NBC analyst Paul McGinely, said from the booth. “That’s disrespectful, in my opinion. I know it’s competitive out there, but it certainly shows you there’s an underlying edge here that it’s not all fun and games,” the veteran continued.

It did ‘bother’ Russell Henley a bit, although Scottie Scheffler said he didn’t notice it. On-ground report suggests Kevin Kisner, the assistant captain, had a word with Camilo Villegas after that. That probably came closest to a Marco Simione-like moment. Nevertheless, Scheffler and Henley were quick to douse the fire. Kim and Im couldn’t keep up with the American’s late charge as they fluttered four birdies to close the match.