Hoylake, England — After posting a 3-under 68 in the second round of The Open Championship on Friday, Tom Kim had a major concern: finding a wheelchair to help him get to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Kim, the 24th-ranked player in the world, said he was on the verge of withdrawing from the World Open after severely injuring his right ankle in a freak accident at his rented home Thursday night. The South Korean said he got out of the yard and slipped on a wet patch of grass.
“It’s very unfortunate,” Kim said. “They bruise pretty well. I can’t really take my shoes off. I don’t know how I really walked. But as soon as the adrenaline hits, I get away with it. Right now, I’m alive.”
Kim, 21, said he heard a crack in the ankle and was diagnosed with a first-degree tear. He said his ankle was swollen and bruised, which made it difficult for him to put on and remove the splints.
“I was about to cancel it and not play today – just go home and try to see a doctor because he’s got a lot of bruises,” said Kim. “I’ve received some tough love from my team, and I’ve been told to get rid of it.”
Kim said his coach assured him he would do no more harm playing with a sprained ankle. His trainer taped his ankle and told him the pain would subside after he warmed up and the adrenaline took over.
“I definitely went there with low expectations because I don’t know how to hit a golf ball,” Kim said. “It was definitely a lot of half swings. Once I started warming up and getting more comfortable with it, I was able to play with it.”
Kim, now even after 36 holes, said his recovery will include soaking his foot in an ice bath and receiving further treatment.
Kim said he expects to return to the course on Saturday.
“I taped it so much that it wouldn’t get any worse,” Kim said. “It’s just uncomfortable. I’m not going to give up. That’s just not who I am.”