With course-record 62, defending champ picks up where he left off
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AT&T National defending champion Anthony Kim said all the right things Thursday.
He’s not hitting driver on every par 4. He’s not firing at every pin. He’s not trying to drain every putt. He’s gaining an appreciation for the course management skills of players such as Jim Furyk.
So standing on the 9th fairway, 283 yards from the pin, leading the AT&T by two strokes at 8-under-par, what does Kim do?
Naturally, he goes for it. Stuffing his 3-wood back in his bag and pulling out a hybrid, Kim fires just short of the green, into a bunker. After blasting to within 10 feet and missing his birdie putt, Kim “settled” for a par and a course-record 62 to take the lead at Congressional Country Club.
Having his way with the Blue Course, Kim recorded eight birdies and 10 pars, breaking the tournament and course mark (63) set last year by Tom Pernice and Peter Lonard. The last time Kim played Congressional, less than a year ago, he fired a final-round 65 to claim the second annual event.
“I love coming back to a course I have good feelings about,” said Kim, 24. “This course does fit my eye and I’m starting to see the break on those greens pretty well.”
Last year, when AT&T National host Tiger Woods missed the tournament after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left knee, Kim filled the void. On Thursday, playing in the morning, Kim shared the spotlight with Woods (64), who played in the afternoon.
“I did play very well,” said Kim. “But that man (Woods) can go out there and shoot 60, so I’m not really worried about what he’s doing.”
Others in contention are D.A. Points (64), Bryce Molder (64), Steve Elkington (65), Daniel Chopra (66), Stuard Appleby (66), and Furyk (66). Potent Justin Rose (67) and Boo Weekley (67) are also in good position.
Teeing off early Thursday on No. 10, Kim sizzled on his second nine, shooting a 29. If his gamble on No. 9 had worked out, Kim could have been putting for a nine of 27 and a jaw-dropping 18-hole score of 60.
“The course being soft was huge,” said Kim, a Californian. “I’d like to say it was just me playing fantastic golf, but I got a couple good breaks along the way and drove it pretty well overall.”
Kim’s birdies came a variety of ways on the front nine. At No. 1 he hit a wedge to within 3 feet. At No. 3 and No. 4 he drilled putts of 14 and 9 feet. At No. 5, Kim hit the flagstick and his ball came to rest a foot away. On No. 7, a par three, Kim drained a 27-footer. At No. 8, he hit an L-wedge to within 5 feet.
After two victories last year and a scintillating performance in the Ryder Cup, Kim had big expectations for 2009 that haven’t been met. He has contended in only one of 13 starts. Shoulder and ankle injuries, and most recently, a sore thumb, have held Kim back. But a T16 at the U.S. Open and a T11 at the Travelers last week indicate he’s starting to find his game.
“I’ve been expecting to play better and it finally came today,” said Kim.
Even in an under-achieving season, Kim has been a threat to go low. He is second on the tour in birdies (one every 4.36 holes) and third in putting (1.71 per hole). But an erratic driver (50 percent fairways) and his penchant for playing aggressively have gotten him in trouble.
“I guess I can’t help myself,” said Kim of his aggressive style. “But today I played more to the middle of greens, and if I missed it, I missed it to the fat side and had a putt at it, which is a lot easier than hitting bunker shots or flop shots out of the rough.”
