Joaquín Niemann’s big wins in LIV Virginia in June did not sit well with Michael Kim. He stirred things up with a sarcastic post that read, “2000 Tiger Woods would have no chance against LIV Golf Niemann.” Given Niemann’s rise and dominance at a young age, the comment came off as dismissive. Kim has long been critical of LIV, and this was just another dig! But his bold take backfired on him during the weekend at the John Deere Classic.
After the 2nd round, where Kim shot 75, Kim disappointedly posted on X, “Wow… that was awful,” he wrote and followed it up with, “Couldn’t stop missing it left… found every bunker possible. Will work on it for Scottish.” It was an honest reflection of how rough the day had been. He was one of the players who missed the cut. This is the event where he claimed his only PGA Tour win, back in 2018, so the expectations from him were naturally high. Matt Vincenzi, LIV’s senior writer, did not miss the opportunity and mocked his previous take on Niemann.
“Do you think Niemann would have a chance against 75 at TPC Deere Run, Michael Kim?” he wrote. It was a clear sarcastic shot at Kim. Given his role covering LIV and supporting its players, it was obvious that Vincenzi used the moment to stand up for Niemann. It wasn’t just about Kim’s bad round. It was a way to call out his past criticism and flip the conversation in favor of LIV. The timing made it sting even more. Why Matt covered up for Niemann is because the incident back in June was not the first time Kim threw shade at Niemann.
During the PGA Championship, Kim started a Q&A session on X, his usual pastime. When someone asked if Niemann was a top-five player in the world, Kim’s blunt response was, “I don’t think he’s top 5, but maybe he’ll prove me wrong this year at the majors.” And to be fair, Niemann kind of did. He had a strong showing at the PGA Championship, finishing eighth. Anyway, currently, through it all, Kim kept his head high.
Continuing his sarcastic tone, Kim wrote, “Definitely. Anyone that’s only 30 spots below me in OWGR would have a chance to beat me today.” Kim is ranked 55th in OWGR, whereas Niemann is 86th. While fans did not expect it, the heated exchange between Vincenzi and Kim took a lighter turn, all thanks to Matt. “Haha. Well played. Knew you could take a joke,” wrote Matt.
Whatever happened at the John Deere Classic is behind Kim now, and he has his sights set on the Scottish Open. The real question is whether his current form is solid enough to handle a tougher field and the very different challenge the course will bring.
Is Michael Kim ready for the Scottish Open?
With the Scottish Open just around the corner, the question now is whether Michael Kim is in the kind of form needed to compete or even stay afloat in a field packed with top-tier talent. So far, 2025 hasn’t offered much to be optimistic about. Kim has only managed two top finishes this season, missed the cut in three events, and hasn’t made any serious noise in the majors.
At the U.S. Open, he just scraped past the cut and finished tied for 50th, while at the PGA Championship, he ended up at T55. These aren’t confidence-boosting results heading into one of the trickier tests on the calendar, especially with The Open looming just after. Part of the issue seems to be his game off the tee. Through 20 events this season, Kim’s driving accuracy has hovered around 58%, placing him in the lower half of the field. To turn things around at the Scottish Open, he’ll need to find consistency off the tee and rebuild his confidence before facing the wind, firm conditions, and a stacked field.
