Tom Kim reflects on "private conversation" with Scottie Scheffler after painful Olympics loss - “I'm just trying to hold it together”

Tom Kim failed to win an Olympic medal at the Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. The men's golf event at the Paris Olympics concluded on Sunday, August 4.

Kim scored 66, 68, 69, and 68 in the four rounds to finish with 13-under 271. He finished tied at 8th on the leaderboard. In the post-tournament press conference, Kim reflected on a "private conversation" with Scottie Scheffler after his painful Olympics loss. He said (via ASAP Sports):

"Never been really emotional after a round. I think these emotions are surprising but I think it's just all the hard work I've done this year to put myself in this position, those things are coming out. Just the things Scottie said to me after the round really kind of came out and I'm just trying to hold it together."

In the final round, Kim started strong with four birdies in the front nine. However, on the back nine, he faltered with a bogey on the par-3 4th and a double bogey on the par-4 18th. He also scored two birdies on the back nine. The 22-year-old Korean player further said:

"He's (Scottie Scheffler) a really good buddy of mine. We are probably going to play some golf again next week. He understands what I've gone through. Just those things and a friend to say something like that after what he did, it means a lot."

Scheffler won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics with a score of 19-under 265. Kim was six shots behind him. Scheffler and Kim will play next week in the Wyndham Championship from August 8 to 11, 2024.

Relatedly, had Kim won an Olympic medal, it would have helped him be exempt from the compulsory military service that men in his country have to undergo. As per South Korea's conscription rule, all men aged between 18-35 have to serve in the military for 18-21 months.

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A look at Tom Kim's performances in 2024

Tom Kim has had a decent 2024 season so far with two top-10 finishes and nine top-26 finishes on the PGA Tour. He is currently positioned 40th in the FedExCup standings.

His best performances include a runner-up finish at the Travelers Championship and a T4 finish at the RBC Canadian Open.

Let's take a look at Tom Kim's performances in the 2024 season:

2024 OLY Golf (M) Tournaments

• Olympic Men's Golf Competition: 8 (66-68-69-68, 271, -13)

2024 PGA TOUR Tournaments

• The Sentry: T45 (68-70-74-66, 278, -14)
• The American Express: Missed Cut (69-71-65, 205, -11)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T31 (71-67-71, 209, -7)
• WM Phoenix Open: T17 (74-66-67-67, 274, -10)
• The Genesis Invitational: T24 (69-69-72-69, 279, -5)
• Cognizant Classic: T62 (68-68-70-76, 282, -2)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. by Mastercard: T52 (73-74-70-77, 294, +6)
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Withdrawn (37, E)
• Valero Texas Open: Missed Cut (73-78, 151, +7)
• Masters Tournament: T30 (72-78-77-66, 293, +5)
• RBC Heritage: T18 (69-66-69-71, 275, -9)
• THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: T52 (69-67-69-69, 274, -10)
• Wells Fargo Championship: T47 (73-69-73-76, 291, +7)
• PGA Championship: T26 (66-71-68-70, 275, -9)
• Charles Schwab Challenge: T24 (69-68-68-74, 279, -1)
• RBC Canadian Open: T4 (70-68-65-64, 267, -13)
• the Memorial Tournament pres. by Workday: T43 (70-75-78-74, 297, +9)
• U.S. Open: T26 (71-68-71-76, 286, +6)
• Travelers Championship: 2-y (62-65-65-66, 258, -22)
• Rocket Mortgage Classic: Missed Cut (73-68, 141, -3)
• Genesis Scottish Open: T15 (69-66-69-64, 268, -12)
• The Open: Missed Cut (76-77, 153, +11)