Don’t mess with the KPGA: Korean golfer handed huge ban
It turns out the Korean Tour don’t take too kindly to players breaking their rules. On Tuesday the KPGA handed a three-year ban to its money list leader Kim Bi-o for giving the middle finger to a member of the gallery after a camera went off in his backswing.
Kim, reports AFP, was leading the DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open by a stroke when the incident happened on the 16th tee.
The Korean PGA Tour has suspended Bio Kim for 3 years after he flipped off a fan using their cell phone in his swing 😲 pic.twitter.com/hbfmLJeiVB
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) October 1, 2019
The 29-year-old managed to compose himself and see out the win to become the first two-time winner on the tour this year, before apologising for losing his temper.
Kim later appeared on TV, kneeling in front of the cameras, as he explained that he had attended an emergency meeting with the KPGA.
But the KPGA released a statement saying they had reached a unanimous decision to suspend Kim for three years and fined him 10 million won – just shy of £7,000.
The statement also read: “Kim Bi-o damaged the dignity of a golfer with etiquette violation and inappropriate behaviour.”
Kim had a season on the PGA Tour in 2011 after coming through Q School. He also played for a couple of years on the Web.com Tour, now the Korn Ferry.
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Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
