10 November 2008
Golf’s bad boy disqualified from HSBC
 comments: 21
The race to the Nedbank Golf Challenge certainly is heating up. Sergio moved up to No 2 in the World Ranking after his win in the HSBC Championship, while Anthony Kim was disqualified for playing with an altered driver. Was a temper tantrum to blame?
The Ryder Cup star claims that he accidentally hit a sprinkler head as he tapped his driver on the ground while walking down the 7th fairway. He continued to play the third round with the damaged driver, although realised that something was seriously wrong after hitting two balls off the 8th tee, his first flying 150 yards out of bounds to the right, and his second almost following suit, resulting in a triple-bogey-eight. On the 11th he sought advice from tour referee Andy McFee who disqualified him under Rule 4-3b for playing with an altered club. “I wasn't angry or anything, just walking down the fairway,” Kim said. “The toe hit the sprinkler, hit the top of the sprinkler, and I looked at it and it looked a little bit different. But I wasn't sure and I put it in my bag.” Kim, who had entered the third round at 5 under – five strokes behind the leaders – is well-known for his feisty personality and, while all reports at this stage indicate that he damaged the club under honourable circumstances, we can’t help but wonder whether there isn’t more to this story. In the last few weeks Kim sprained his right ankle - falling down stairs at a friend's home - and also bruised his jaw while horse-riding. He's played little golf in the last three weeks and has said that he is living on a diet of noodles, unable to chew with a sore jaw. So did he maybe unleash some of his frustrations on an innocent sprinkle head? No-one seems to be able to verify the facts either way, but Kim isn’t complaining – he still walked away with a sizeable appearance fee. But whatever happened out on the 7th, the good news for South African golf fans is that the NGC is building up to be one of the best events yet. With the likes of Anthony Kim and Sergio Garcia (who will be coming to South Africa on the back of two very recent wins), crowds can look forward to sensational golf!
Reader comments: (21)
•Spot on Gavin
I agree, it's a no cut event anyway, so surely you are expected to play all four rounds for your appearance fees? As for Kim, I think he was unlucky - but he paid the price for losing his temper and its a valuable lesson to us all!
posted by: Mad Bob on 2008/11/12
•Pros |Overpaid?
This report confirms that the money paid to these guys has become silly. Surely if you get disqualifies, irrespective of the reasons, yuo should forfeit appearance money. I don't think appearance money should be paid anyway - there is enough prize money up for grabs if they are good enough
posted by: Gavin Meyer on 2008/11/12
•AK
I for one fail to see how a damaged club qualifies as an altered club and how playing a shot not realising results in a DQ-I think it is time the R&A seriously consider this(amonst some other) nonsensical rule
posted by: Johann on 2008/11/11
•PS...
Oh Yeah, and to all you wankers that has never thrown a club or hit the ground out of frustration.... well done!
posted by: William on 2008/11/10
•Pissies
You all piss in your pants about Kim's attitude; the question I pose is: didn't he turn himself in? According to me, that's sportmanship.
posted by: William on 2008/11/10
•ehem....
Hey Moss, yeah, 'tapping' your driver on a sprinkler head hard enough to break it qualifies as bad behaviour - the club is designed to hit a golf ball at 140 mph and still stay in one piece! As for bigotry, it's a very lame angle of attack that perhaps belies your own inherent bias. The Mole didn't cast him in a bad light - Kim's done it to himself! Or didn't you watch the RC? Either way, he's a great player and I can't wait to see him tackle those sprinkler heads at Sun City...
posted by: Golf Cynic on 2008/11/10
•"Bad Boy"
Since when does hiiting a sprinkler head with your driver in frustration qualify AK as a 'Golf's bad boy"?. This is the second time you have cast him in a negative light for no reason. Methinks the MOLE has a tinge of bigotry that surfaces from time to time.
posted by: Moss on 2008/11/10
•Doubt ingorance can be blamed
Slightly odd that a player of his experience (many years on amateur and pro tours) would not be concerned as to the effect that an altered driver would have on his game, ie balls flying out of bounds etc.
posted by: Fernando on 2008/11/10
•Wake up Anton!
Anton, you need a klap you idiot!Altering your score on your scorecard (like Vijay and Jaco van Zyl) is being a cheat, damaging your club slightly and playing with it is called ignorance...(a bit like you!). Cheats don't hand themselves in to rules officials like he did. Kim is arrogant and I don't care for him myself, but he definately not a cheat.
posted by: Klapper on 2008/11/10
•Smack him
He needs a good SA klap. Golf doesn't need cheats. He is bringing the once gentlemans game into disrepute. Stop his invite to the NGC
posted by: Anton on 2008/11/10
•P C
Golf is becomming too PC like the old liberal left wing english councils where you can't say 'singing from the same hymnsheet' in case you offend agnostics.There is the spirit of the law and the letter of golf laws
posted by: peter on 2008/11/10
•Pity the Truth is a Stranger?
I like the new crop of "action men" comming through. If he did lie about the club, what else would he lie about? Accidently moving the ball? It undermines his whole golfing character.
posted by: Michael on 2008/11/10
•What is the actual ruling in such circumstances?
Can anyone advise the correct course of action and the actions that would have to be taken. If he had declared it immediately could he have obtained a replacement?
posted by: Sean S on 2008/11/10
•Anthony Kim
I agree with Bruce - He must be carefull The South African golfers do not take to arroagnt golfers - You must take the bad with the good - His head is to big after the Ryder Cup.
posted by: Joe on 2008/11/10
•bad boy
posted by: on 2008/11/10
•ONLY HE WOULD KNOW.
Only he would know if he really did just 'tap' the sprinkler head with no intent to damage his club or only he would know if he did it to damage his club.
posted by: Pauline. on 2008/11/10
•YEAH
So excited for NGC.....bring on the drama and awesome golf!
posted by: Ferret on 2008/11/10
•Ah, Bruce...
Anthony Kim comes across as an arrogant, badly behaved, unsporting brat. So, yes, BAD BOY, may well be a decent description. Who knows what he's like around the dinner table when mommy is watching... he might even chew with his mouth closed... but I doubt it!
posted by: Also Bruce on 2008/11/10
•Bad Boy ????
Whst actions of Anthony Kim's qualify him as golf's BAD boy. Anthony Kim is a very talented, passionate golfer - not a mechanical, unemotional, cardboard player like most of the rest of the tours. John Daly is a BAD boy
posted by: Bruce on 2008/11/10
•Driver Strength ??
Find it hard to believe that "tapping a sprinkler head" causes such severe "unplayability" of a club ??
posted by: bob on 2008/11/10
•AK fan
Thank goodness for players like AK. They make the game entertaining!
posted by: Bill on 2008/11/10
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