Having been invited to dinner by fellow South Korean native Michael Kim, Si Woo Kim pulled up Google Maps on Tuesday night to see how long of a drive it would be to the Korean barbecue restaurant his friend had picked out.
The app gave a welcome answer: Daebak Korean BBQ was just 1.5 miles away from his hotel.
“I thought it was for sure that one,” Si Woo Kim told media at the Rocket Classic on Wednesday. “I wasn’t thinking about Canada or anything.”
Unfortunately for Kim, that’s exactly where he wound up due to the mix up.
Following the directions given to him by his phone, the four-time PGA Tour winner decided to wave off any hesitation he might have had driving over a bridge before paying a $9 toll — to pass through the border.
“I had to pay to go through and thought, ‘Why is it so expensive?’” he said. “And as soon as I get through the tunnel, ‘Oh, this is Canada.’”
While he shared the story a day later with some light-hearted comedic flare, Kim admitted that he was freaking out as he tried to communicate to immigration officials his mistake.
And despite telling officers on the scene that he was in the Motor City to play in this week’s Rocket Classic, Kim got treated just like any other civilian.
“The guys are coming at me searching my car, and somehow I got out of it” he said before dropping the hammer. "[The lead officer] asked me if I was going to win this Sunday, and I said ‘Only if you let me through.’”
For those wondering about whether or not the Kims ever got to enjoy their meal, Michael Kim confirmed that they did enjoy Daebak — the one in Michigan, not Canada — about 90 minutes than originally planned.
“Never a dull moment with Si Woo. Thanks for the content my guy,” Michael Kim posted on X.