Trying to avoid another muddy, viral moment, Tom Kim rolls up pants

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tom Kim already endured one wardrobe malfunction this year so his goal on Thursday at soggy TPC Southwind was to avoid another.

After a morning storm delayed the start of the first round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship by nearly three hours, Kim rolled his pants up to his knees, capri-style, in an attempt to keep them clean.

“I didn’t want to get myself dirty. Just don’t like it. I’ve had a really bad week once this year, so just trying to stay away from it really,” Kim explained. “It was just kind of how I did it back in the old days. I didn’t have unlimited pants, so I had to make sure I was able to use those pants for a really long time, so I had to make sure they stayed really clean.”

Full-field scores from FedEx St. Jude Championship

At the PGA Championship in May, Kim waded into Allen Creek at Oak Hill to find his golf ball but found only mud. The video of Kim, who took off his shirt to clean himself afterward, went viral.

Thursday’s choice to roll up his pants was an attempt to avoid another viral moment.

“A lot of people seemed to have a lot of laughs on it, but I just thought it was pretty convenient,” said Kim, who was alone in second place after an opening 64. “I chose the wrong color [a light tan], obviously, for the day, but my caddie [Joe Skovron] actually said he doesn’t really care what I do as long as I make birdies and eagles, so it kind of worked.”