Korean Tour top golfer bags 3 year ban over obscene gesture
Korean golfer Bio Kim received a three-year ban from the Korean Tour after giving a fan the middle finger at a tournament over the weekend.
Bio Kim was leading at the DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open over the weekend when a fan’s phone camera went off during his downswing, leading to an errant shot.
Kim raised his middle finger at the fan in frustration, before going on to win the tournament.
The Korean Professional Golfers’ Association unanimously voted for Kim’s three-year ban from the Tour, saying that he had “damaged the dignity of a golfer.
Kim is leading the Korean Tour in earnings this season. His conduct did not only attract a ban but also a fine of $8,350 about (10,069,557.25 South Korean won).
As an amateur, Kim won the Korean Amateur Open and Japan Amateur Golf Championship in 2008.
He turned professional in 2009 and joined his home Korean Tour for 2010, winning once.
At the end of the 2010 season, he entered qualifying school for the PGA Tour and gained his playing rights in eleventh place.
He lost his PGA Tour card after finishing 162nd on the money list.
His highest World Ranking was 200th, in May 2012. In 2014, he slipped out of the top 1000 players.