A lengthy suspension was handed down on the Korean Tour this week.
It isn’t often that a season-long suspension isn’t the longest suspension handed out during a week’s time. The Korean Tour one-upped the NFL when it suspended Kim Bi-o for three years after his obscene gesture towards a fan.
During the final round of the DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open on the Korean Tour, a cellphone camera went off during Kim Bi-o’s tee shot on the 16th hole. As you can see from the video, Kim did not appreciate the camera going off.
He would lose his temper during his swing, as you can see by the exasperation and anger during his follow-through. He immediately showed the fan his appreciation for birds, holding it there for a couple of seconds, before slamming his driver into the tee box.
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It ended up not affecting him too badly, as he would still go on to win the event, although it is definitely going to be the last one he plays on the Korean Tour for quite a while.
Bi-o isn’t just some guy either. He previously played on the PGA Tour, played in the 2013 U.S. Open, and has five Korean Tour wins. He won the Order of Merit in 2010, which determines the top player of the season. He was also leading the Korean Tour money list this season.
Unfortunately for him, he won’t be leading the tour in money much longer. In a statement made by the Korean Tour, they said
"“Kim Bi-o damaged the dignity of a golfer with etiquette violation and inappropriate behavior.”"
The fine is paltry in comparison to the suspension. The fine was the equivalent of $8,350 in U.S. dollars.
The Korean Tour is not on the same level as the PGA Tour or the European Tour. It is still tough to imagine a similar penalty being leveled if someone on either of those Tours committed actions similar to the ones of Bi-o.
Imagine Bubba Watson. He is a very accomplished golfer but is unquestionably on the backside of his career. By no means is he one of the top golfers in the game anymore. There is no way the PGA would suspend him three years if he did this.
Heck, Sergio tries to harm a course once a month, and nothing in the same zip code to this has happened to him.
Is the penalty too tough? Possibly. Regardless of how you feel about it, Kim Bi-o will not be playing on the Korean Tour for the next three years.