Paul Tesori says U.S. players ’emphatically got personal’ with Tom Kim and cursed at him during the Presidents Cup

Two weeks after the Presidents Cup, which was marked by some contentious moments, veteran caddie Paul Tesori has spoken out in defense of his player, Tom Kim. During a recent interview on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Tesori confirmed that several U.S. players had indeed cursed at the 22-year-old South Korean during the event. However, while standing by Kim, Tesori also expressed regret over how the young player handled the situation after the match.

According to Tesori, tensions ran high at Royal Montreal, leading to moments of poor sportsmanship on the U.S. side. “I witnessed three scenarios where U.S. team members got personal with Tom, and, yes, they cursed at him,” Tesori said. “At the end of the day, no one wants that.” He refrained from naming the players involved but emphasized that he didn’t believe such behavior was in their usual character.

Some critics may argue that Tesori, being Kim’s caddie, would naturally defend him. However, Tesori is a highly respected figure in the golf world, and during the interview, he offered not just support but also constructive criticism for his player.

To provide some context, the incident in question occurred on Saturday evening at the Presidents Cup when Kim alleged that American players had cursed at him during his match. The following day, after Team USA’s commanding victory in the biennial competition, Kim sought out U.S. player Xander Schauffele and team captain Jim Furyk to clarify his comments and apologize if his remarks had been misunderstood. “I told him [Schauffele] that I didn’t mean for it to come off negatively,” Kim explained. “I felt like some of the comments I heard really hit me personally, and at the time, I thought it was right to speak up.”

Tesori revealed that he, too, had strong emotions about the situation. “One of the incidents happened right in front of me, just a foot away, and it really upset me,” he said. “It brought up feelings I hadn’t had since New York’s Bethpage [Black Course], and I wanted to react physically.” However, Tesori acknowledged that he believed the U.S. players involved were not acting in line with their true character, and he praised Kim for handling the situation well in the moment.

Where Tesori took issue with Kim’s actions was in the aftermath. “There’s no reason for him to go to the media,” Tesori said. “In today’s world, even if there was video proof, half the people would think he’s overreacting, and the other half would side with him.” Tesori also noted that Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard had backed up Kim’s claims, though the response to the reporter’s statement seemed to go largely unnoticed.
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Ultimately, Tesori advised Kim to approach these kinds of situations differently in the future. “It was just two out of 24 guys who acted in a way I’d be embarrassed by, but Tom needs to develop thicker skin,” Tesori added. “At the end of the day, you can’t go to the media with this—you talk to your captains, your teammates. It’s all part of the learning experience for Tom.”

Tesori concluded that while he sympathized with Kim, he hopes this experience helps him grow and handle similar situations more privately in the future.