A Korean golfer who let his temper get the best of him after a cellphone camera went off during his downswing has been suspended for three years by the Korean Professional Golfers’ Association.
The KPGA, which operates the Korean Tour, voted unanimously to suspend Bio Kim for the next three years for giving fans the middle finger before slamming his club into the ground during the 16th hole at the DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open in Gumi, South Korea.
Kim, who was leading by a shot at the time, went on to win the tournament and became the first two-time winner on the Korean Tour this season.
Bio Kim got suspended from the Korean PGA Tour for 3 YEARS for flipping off a fan whose cell phone shutter sound went off on Sunday. (And he won the tournament!) https://t.co/LcN2ZNilg8 pic.twitter.com/XDwduHgGEb
— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) October 1, 2019
“Kim Bi-o damaged the dignity of a golfer with etiquette violation and inappropriate behavior,” the Korean Tour said in a statement.
The 29-year-old asked for forgiveness during his postgame press conference, but those pleas apparently fell on deaf ears.
Bio Kim got on his knees pleading for mercy and forgiveness for flipping the bird at a jerk. Sergio destroyed greens in Saudi Arabia after taking a murderous regime's money and then started posting happy pics to his Gram feed. pic.twitter.com/C0tkcrCzSZ
— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) October 1, 2019
Kim lost his PGA Tour card in 2011 and it is unclear whether the KPGA suspension will preclude him from playing on PGA Tour-sanctioned circuits in China, Canada and Latin America.
In addition to the suspension, Kim was also fined about $8,350 in American currency. Prior to the ban, he was leading the Korean Tour’s money list.
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