Given how fine the margins in professional golf are, it is no surprise that it does not take a lot at all to put some players off when they are over the ball.
Some golfers almost certainly use noise from the crowd as an excuse once they have hit a poor shot. But given how silent hundreds of people can become in an instant, it is understandable that the click of a camera can be so distracting.
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ncredibly, one player was left so frustrated by a spectator that he reacted in a manner that initially led to a three-year suspension.
Ultimately, he would be banned for a year by the Korean Tour and be forced to serve 120 hours of community service.
The golfer who received a one year suspension after making a gesture towards a spectator
Bio Kim may not be a household name, but the 35-year-old has played all over the world during his career. Most of his success, however, has come on the Korean Tour.
And it was towards the end of an event that he would go on to win – the 2019 DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open – that Kim would make a gesture towards the crowd which landed him in big trouble.
Kim was put off on the 16th tee during the final round by the click of a camera. He immediately looked to the crowd and showed his middle finger to the spectator. He then smashed his driver into the ground.
As reported by Golf Channel, it was decided within a matter of days that Kim would be suspended for three years and face a hefty fine.
The ban would subsequently be reduced to one year.
One PGA Tour player was left baffled by Bio Kim’s suspension
In the aftermath of the original decision, there was support for Kim. Kevin Na told the media ahead of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open that he was staggered by the punishment.
He went on to suggest that he was trying to help Kim ensure that he was able to play elsewhere while he was banned.
“What he did was wrong,” Na said, as reported by Golf.com. “Kind of surprised me. He’s not that kind of person. I talked to him on the phone [on Tuesday]. We exchanged some texts. From what I’ve gathered, I guess it wasn’t the first time that happened that day. He was fed up with it. Yes, what he did was wrong. Should he be fined? Yes. Three years is ridiculous.
“You’re taking a man’s job for three years. Yes, he was unprofessional and there should be consequences for it, but not take a man’s job away for three years. At the same time, the spectator was disrespecting the game and the player at the same time. Yes, it happened, but three years is — I mean, for what? I mean, at the same time, I also think he should get an opportunity to make things right. Apologize, whether it’s to the fan, to that individual fan, the golf world, Korean media, but I hope — I mean, I’m trying everything I can to help him.”
How Bio Kim fared when he earned his PGA Tour card for the 2011 season
Kim has subsequently won four more times on the Korean Tour. In fact, his first victory on the tour following the end of his suspension saw him finish six shots clear of a teenager by the name of Tom Kim at the LG Signature Players Championship in 2021.
Kim did win on the Asian Tour in 2022, and made only his second major start later that month. He went on to miss the cut at the PGA Championship, while he also failed to make the weekend at The Open Championship the following year. He finished tied for 45th at the 2013 US Open.
The 2022 season also saw Kim break into the top 100 in the world rankings, reaching 99th.
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He has tried his luck on the PGA Tour previously. He earned a card through Q-School ahead of the 2011 season. However, he went on to miss 15 cuts that year and failed to register a top 10.
Incredibly, while Kim was outside the top 100 in almost every strokes gained category in 2011, he was actually the third-best player on the PGA Tour around the greens.
Interestingly, he made six starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025 with one top 10.
Kim is now 522nd in the world rankings. While he has had plenty of success upon his return to the game, he would be forgiven for wondering what could have happened had he managed to keep his cool for just a little while longer that day.