Fresh off his second victory of the year, at the AT&T National, Anthony Kim was quick to swipe aside questions of where he ranks in golf’s under-30 crowd.
Adam Scott? Sergio Garcia? They are all well ahead of Kim, at least according to the 23-year-old two-time winner. Although those longer-tenured players do rank in front of Kim on the Official World Golf Ranking, it doesn’t look as though the former Oklahoma Sooner will be in the back of that pack for very long.
So is Kim gaining ground on his higher-profile 20-something competitors? Our experts give their takes in this week’s edition of Fact or Fiction. (more…)
The 23-year-old’s victory at tournament Tiger Woods hosts, the AT & T National, is his second this year and raises hopes that he could emerge as a challenger to the world No. 1.
Tiger Woods got lucky over the weekend. No, he didn’t toss aside his crutches and start practicing again, but he had a good winner at the tournament he hosts, the AT&T National: Anthony Kim.
The 23-year-old Kim, who was born in Los Angeles but moved to La Quinta when he was 16, is a star in the making. Or it could be that he’s already achieved star status. (more…)
Anthony Kim shot a five-under 65 on Sunday to squeeze past a tight field and win the AT&T National by two shots.
It was the 23-year-old American’s second career PGA Tour title, the first coming just two months ago when he claimed the Wachovia Championship by five shots at tough Quail Hollow.
This week’s venue was Congressional, which will host the 2011 U.S. Open, and the talented Kim finished with a 12-under 268 total.
That bettered by three strokes K.J. Choi’s winning score from last season, the first year of Tiger Woods’ tournament.
“Winning [on the PGA Tour] is so tough that any time you get an opportunity to be in the hunt, it feels great,” said Kim. “And to capitalize on the two chances I’ve had of late feels wonderful.”
Fredrik Jacobson strung together four consecutive birdies near the end of his round and shot a five-under 65 to finish alone in second place at 10-under 270.
Rod Pampling also shot a 65 and Jim Furyk had a 66 to lead a group of six players who shared third place at nine-under 271. They were joined by Robert Allenby (67), Dean Wilson (67), Nick O’Hern (69) and Tommy Armour III (69).
Third-round leader Tom Pernice, Jr. stumbled to a two-over 72 and fell into a tie for ninth place with Alex Cejka (66) and Jeff Overton (70) at eight-under 272.
Steve Stricker, after trailing Pernice by a shot overnight, couldn’t overcome a slow start on the way to a three-over 73. He dropped into a share of 18th place at six-under 274.
U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate (66) was among the players who joined Stricker at 274.
Kim joined Woods, Phil Mickelson and Kenny Perry as the only multiple winners on the PGA Tour this year. But while each of the other players is over the age of 31, Kim turned 23 just 17 days before his latest win.
Any remaining doubt that Kim is an emerging star was erased on Sunday. At least one player has already compared him to Woods.
“I think any time there’s a younger guy that plays good, there’s always a little bit of buzz that’s created and people are looking and hoping to find the guy that’s going to challenge Tiger,” said Kim. “You know, right now, he’s obviously injured and not going to be out here, but it’s a time for the young guys to step up and make a statement.
“Hopefully other people will get to know golf besides Tiger. He’s done so much for the game. But at the same time, we need to step up and I think it’s going to be an around time for all the young guys.”
Kim had to wiggle through a tight leaderboard to come out on top.
Beginning the day three shots behind Pernice, Kim started strong with a birdie at his first hole. But it may have been his consistency that eventually helped him the most.
Kim collected five consecutive pars before making his next birdie at the par- three seventh. He made back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th holes to take a two-shot lead on Hunter Mahan.
And when he rolled in a five-foot birdie putt at the 16th, Kim held a three- shot lead on six players: Furyk, Pampling, Jacobson, Wilson, O’Hern and Armour.
He would not be caught.
Kim made consecutive pars to finish the round, which was good enough to hold off Jacobson’s late charge. He claimed $1.08 million for the win, moving to fifth place on both the FedEx Cup points list and the money list.
And there was the little matter of winning Woods’ tournament, even if the recuperating Woods wasn’t there to see it.
“To win his golf tournament is amazing,” said Kim. “Because I idolized him growing up, it’s so surreal for me to be in this position right now.”
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