Never has a golfer in a major been so caked in mud and never has a golfer in a major felt obliged to submerge himself into a creek to wash himself off.
The first day of the 105th US PGA Championship will no doubt be remembered for some great golf on a forbidding Oak Hill course, but primarily this was the day that young Tom Kim became an internet sensation.
The 20-year-old was on the sixth hole (his 15th) when he hit his drive into a hazard. Under the rules he was allowed to take a penalty drop, but the South Korean figured he should look for his ball just in case it was playable.
The problem was that it was a swamp he was striding into, albeit with his shoes and socks removed and his trousers rolled up to his knees.
“As soon as I went in, it was kind of sketchy [risky],” Kim said. “But it’s a major championship and I’m fighting for every single stroke. Then it got dark. Once my foot went in, there was no looking back.”
Kim sank further – “right up to my belt” – and after standing there for a while wondering what on earth he could do, he was forced to crawl out of the mud. Kim was covered and knew he had to take immediate action. So he ventured into the creek itself and basically had a bath before grabbing a towel from his caddy and then changing his shirt in the middle of the fairway. “I’ve had better experiences,” Kim said.
He fared commendably to limit the damage to a bogey on that par four, and somehow, while still soaking, Kim was able to play his last three holes in par to post a three-over 73 to stand seven off Bryson DeChambeau’s 66.
When he arrived at the recorder’s hut and saw all the journalists waiting, he realized the footage had gone viral.
“Oh, no,” he said, holding his head in his hands. “I hoped I’d got away with it, but the whole world has obviously seen it. I’ve just turned on my phone and I have millions of messages. I might never live this down.”
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.