Tom Kim slipped off a patio on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, he shot a 68 to make the cut at The Open.
“After the round yesterday I got home and I looked – where I’m staying, there is this patio and it drops down to the grass,” Kim explained of his mishap.
“There is half a yard of mud and my foot got caught and slipped and popped. It’s a grade one tear. I’m barely walking, but it’s cool how I got away with it.
“It’s pretty bruised. I can’t take off my shoe really. I don’t know how I really walked. But once the adrenaline popped in I got away with it. Now I’m surviving.”
Kim was close to withdrawing, but his coaches told him to “suck it up”.
Now his 68 has got him back to level par, and safely through to the weekend at Hoylake.
“It was very close to call it off and not play today, get home and try to see a doctor because it’s pretty bruised,” he added.
“But, no, I got some tough love from my team and I was told to suck it up. I certainly did that and played well today.
“My trainer did tell me it was definitely playable. I taped it up a lot where it’s not going to get worse. It’s just uncomfortable. I’m not going to give up. It’s just not who I am.
“I definitely went out there with low expectations.”
A quick start helped the South Korean get into his round, with four birdies in his opening eight holes.
“Once I started to warm and get more comfortable with it I was able to play around with it,” he added.
“My first hole I could barely walk. It started getting warmer. I think I birdied 4 and 5, and then I started to feel better about myself. So I think that helped a little bit.
“Obviously playing well helps, but definitely once the sun started to come up I got warmer and like I said the adrenaline hit. I was able to get through it.”
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