Tom Kim On The 'Mix-Up' That Almost Saw Him Miss The Scottish Open
The world No.17 needed a sponsor exemption to make the Scottish Open field after a "mix-up" meant he missed the deadline for entry into the event


Tom Kim has cleared up confusion about his strange status as a sponsor invite at the Scottish Open, despite already being exempt for the event.
The 22-year-old world No.17 revealed that he needed a sponsor exemption to get into the field at this week’s Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club – which is co-sanctioned by the PGA and DP World Tours – after a “mix-up” saw him miss the deadline for entry into the tournament.
“Yeah, obviously there was a mix-up on my team's end,” Kim said. “Just with deadlines and stuff with two tours, it sometimes gets confusing. I only found out about it earlier the day before when I got a call from the team saying, ‘hey, we messed up on our end. We are not trying to do anything weird but we messed up’.”
He added that the Scottish Open is one of his favorite tournaments: “Obviously I love coming out here. I would never do anything remotely weird to just flirt with the tournaments. It was a complete mistake on the people who help me.
“This is one of the events that I circle at the start of the year and I know I'm going to play. So definitely I would not try to do that on purpose.”
The Scottish Open is where it all started for Kim, who at the age of 20 announced himself to the golfing world with a third place finish at the event two years ago, starting his ascension into one of the top golfers on the planet.
Kim, who has since won three times on the PGA Tour, performed well again at last year’s event, finishing in a tie for sixth.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
He said returning to The Renaissance Club will always be special and he is excited to take on the North Berwick links again.
“This is where it kind of all started for me. I started making a run here in Scotland, and I had a chance last year, as well. It's just good vibes and the course is in different shape again from last year. Excited to get going.”
Leading up to this week, Kim played nine straight tournaments on the PGA Tour, a period that saw him claim two top five finishes, including a narrow loss in a playoff to Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship last month.
He said he used that nine-week stretch to "find my game", after struggling in the early part of the year, which has proved fruitful.
“Yeah, obviously went on a big nine-week stretch, and to kind of just show myself a little bit about when things got hard, how I was able to perform, and those things coming together and my game. Obviously had a slow start to the season. But picking up and coming over here, I'm happy with where my game is at.”
Joel Kulasingham is freelance writer for Golf Monthly. He has worked as a sports reporter and editor in New Zealand for more than five years, covering a wide range of sports including golf, rugby and football. He moved to London in 2023 and writes for several publications in the UK and abroad. He is a life-long sports nut and has been obsessed with golf since first swinging a club at the age of 13. These days he spends most of his time watching, reading and writing about sports, and playing mediocre golf at courses around London.
-
5 Things The Biggest Hitters Do To Generate Power In Their Golf Swing (And How You Can Copy Them)
Generating more power is a great way to improve your handicap and shoot lower scores. So, we analysed the biggest hitters in golf to help you hit it further...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Vessel Player V Pro Carbon Stand Bag Review
Mike Bailey tested the most expensive bag to ever hold his golf clubs, the Vessel Player V Pro Carbon stand bag, to see if the experience justified the price
By Mike Bailey Published
-
'If We Want To Figure Out Why The Game Of Golf Is Not Back Together, Go Ask Those Guys' - Scottie Scheffler Insists LIV Golfers To Blame For Golf's Big Divide
Scottie Scheffler reiterated his stance that LIV golfers were to blame for the continued split in men's pro golf, while insisting the PGA Tour still had a better standard
By Paul Higham Published
-
Impressive Players Championship TV Ratings Show Rory McIlroy Is Golf's Needle Mover
McIlroy's victory at The Players Championship drew an increase in viewership over 2024, with his recent victories on the PGA Tour showing that he could well be the new needle mover
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Rory McIlroy Adds New Event To Pre-Masters Schedule
McIlroy will make his debut in the Houston Open next week, the World No.2 has confirmed
By Elliott Heath Published
-
JJ Spaun Didn’t Win The Players Championship, But Here’s Everything He Gets After A Life-Changing Week At TPC Sawgrass
Spaun may have missed out on Players Championship victory, but the American can take solace in a number of positives from a fine week at TPC Sawgrass
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Would YouTube Star Grant Horvat Accept A Sponsor's Invite To A PGA Tour Event? The Answer Is Complicated...
The 2025 Creator Classic champion explained why he has mixed feelings on whether he would accept a hypothetical sponsor's invite to a PGA Tour event
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Valspar Championship Prize Money Payout 2025
The Valspar Championship is the final event of the Florida Swing, with an $8.7 million purse up for grabs at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course
By Matt Cradock Published
-
‘It’s Hard To Not Feel Discouraged’ - JJ Spaun Reacts After Players Championship Playoff Defeat To Rory McIlroy
The American came up short in a bid to win The Players Championship, as Spaun would rue a costly triple bogey at the par 3 17th in a playoff with Rory McIlroy
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Paul McGinley Proposes ‘One Of The Things That I Think LIV Have Got Right’ To Be Applied To PGA Tour
The Golf Channel analyst thinks a key change implemented by LIV Golf could make all the difference to the PGA Tour
By Mike Hall Published