(Reuters) – Tom Kim’s first round at the PGA Championship was not one he will want to remember after he found himself wading waist deep into a swamp to find his ball before carding a three-over 73 on Thursday.
Unfortunately for the South Korean, a viral video clip of him crawling through the mud will make it difficult to forget.
When Kim’s tee shot on the sixth hole crossed a creek and landed in a hazard, he took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants and waded into the weeds to find his ball before falling over and getting caked in mud.
Unable to locate his ball, he managed to crawl out before washing himself off in the creek.
Sky Sports commentators laughed heartily at his expense and when he was told he had gone viral, Kim sank to his knees and hid his face with his cap but he laughed it off.
“It’s a major championship and I’m fighting for every single stroke. It could be the difference of me having a chance to win on Sunday or making the cut,” Kim told ESPN.
“I was told it was in the mud and if I’m able to hit a shot, I’m doing everything I can to do it. So I definitely tried, but it was very unfortunate. I couldn’t even find the ball.
“Once my foot went in, there was no looking back. As soon as my foot went in, it was kind of sketchy. I had to crawl, use every part of my body to get out.”
The 20-year-old said he called to his caddie for help but Joe Skovron was worried that he too would get stuck.
Despite the “embarrassing” ordeal, Kim said he had no regrets.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world because I don’t regret anything I did,” he added.
“I think I would have regretted it more not trying to go in there. Every single shot matters so much to me.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
