The best highlight from Thursday's opening round of the 2023 PGA Championship wasn't an ace or a long putt.
Rather, it was a golfer looking for his ball.
On the sixth hole at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, Tom Kim hit a tee shot into a muddy area with high weeds. The 20-year-old went looking for the ball in hopes of being able to chip it out.
But Kim's search quickly turned into an absolute mess. Literally.
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Kim removed his socks and shoes and rolled up his pants before immersing himself waist-deep in mud. After eventually bailing on the mission, Kim emerged from the hazard with his lower body and forearms covered in mud.
"As soon as I went in, it was kind of [sketchy]," Kim told ESPN. "But I was like, 'It's a major championship. I'm fighting for every single stroke I have.' And then, it got dark.
"Once my foot got in I was like, 'There's no looking back.' And I went full in, and [the mud] got my shirt and everything. There was one point where I just sunk in. I was steady for a minute. I couldn't get myself out. So I called [my caddie, Joe Skovron,] and he was saying, 'Well if I go in, I sink. Then both of us aren't getting out.' So I had to crawl and use every part of my body to get out. I've had better days."
Now a muddy mess, Kim then went over to a creek to wash off his arms and legs. He also took off his shirt and put on a mud-less jacket.
"I mean, it couldn't get any worse. I was wet enough so I thought I might as well just go in the water and wash myself off," Kim said.
Despite all that effort, Kim was unable to find his ball and recorded a bogey on the hole. He did, however, rebound with three straight pars to finish Round 1 3-over 73.
After his round, the South Korean golfer had a great reaction to finding out he had gone viral for the mud and creek baths.
"I hope everyone at home understands it's a major championship, I'm trying to play the best I can and every shot matters," Kim said. "I definitely went full in but it didn't really help. I didn't find my ball and I went through all that. But it was a great experience."
Kim certainly proved that every shot truly does matter to him.
