Tom Kim shares his feelings on the Scottish Open crowds with ’95 per cent’ wanting Robert MacIntyre to win
· Yahoo Sports
Tom Kim has suggested that he felt the love from the crowds at the Scottish Open despite being aware that the large majority were keen to see Robert MacIntyre win at The Renaissance Club on Sunday.
Kim has his fourth PGA Tour victory, and his first in nearly three years, after finishing two shots clear of Min Woo Lee in North Berwick.
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Heading into the final round, it really did appear that the list of potential contenders to win was into double digits, with plenty of names within a handful of shots of MacIntyre.
Tom Kim comments on the Scottish Open crowds
Of course, MacIntyre would have been an extremely popular winner. Few will forget the scenes in 2024 when the 29-year-old holed the putt on the 72nd hole to clinch his national open.
Unfortunately, the Scot made a nightmare start to his final round. After 10 holes, he was three over par for the day and seemingly out of contention.
That left the pathway clear for Tom Kim to steal the show. The South Korean did not make a single bogey on his way to posting a round of 64 to finish on 17 under par for the week.
Kim was asked about the support both he and MacIntyre received this week, with the pair well aware of how rarely either gets to play in front of a home crowd.
Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images“It’s a very interesting thing, right. Like we play in the U.S. I mean, every golfer in the world wants to play the PGA Tour and that’s the dream. But there’s a lot more that goes into golf than playing on the PGA Tour. There’s a lot of sacrifices need to be made,” he said.
“Rob has just done such an amazing job in his career. He’s one of the best players in the world. He’s always a good laugh. I’ve always enjoyed playing with him, spending time with him. I can definitely see the Scottish fans behind him which is really cool for me to see, at least because I’m a foreigner like everybody else. And Rob is playing in front of his home crowd. I’m sure 95 per cent of the Scottish fans wanted Rob to win today, but I can still feel the love.
“The Scottish fans are some of best fans in the world. They applaud for really good shots and understand what a good shots is. It’s Home of Golf; so to be able to win a trophy here, it’s awesome for me.”
Robert MacIntyre issues his verdict on the Scottish Open
The Scottish Open received plenty of attention going into this week due to the quality of the field it attracted.
With Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and Rory McIlroy all teeing it up, the Scottish Open had a claim to be considered the fifth biggest event of the season.
Most of the big names did not seriously contend over the weekend. Scheffler missed the cut, while McIlroy played himself out of the mix with his third round.
But the tournament delivered a brilliant Sunday once again. And MacIntyre outlined how proud he was of the galleries over the previous four days.
“Yeah, the guys put an unreal effort into it, into the golf course, and the hospitality, the players. I know I might be being biased but I think this is one of the best hospitality that we get anywhere in the world, if not the best,” he said.
“The fans have been incredible. I am being biased but the best fans in the world. They showed that in Boston, as well. Yeah, coming home here, playing The Scottish Open, having a chance to win with the whole crowd behind you is unbelievable. Just walking up that par 3 is special. Just a shame I couldn’t give them something.”
At a time when the PGA Tour is threatening to embrace a greater number of international markets, the Scottish Open has arguably highlighted the potential these events can have if everything falls into place.