Musings: Kim, 22, dominates the Wachovia

Have we seen the future of the PGA Tour? Anthony Kim destroyed a major-quality field on a major-quality course in winning the Wachovia Championship by five shots, serving notice that all this talk about the scarcity of young talent on Tour was just that — talk. Now, the 22-year-old can turn his attention toward conquering golf’s strongest field at this week’s Players Championship. Given the manner in which he grabbed the tournament by the throat on Sunday, it would be foolish to discount the possibility.

After a final-round 69 gave him a five-shot win over Ben Curtis — the lead at one point during the final round grew to seven shots — Kim sounded more like some 40-year-old journeyman finally breaking into the win column than a young stud stepping over the threshold into superstardom. “Just getting the monkey off my back,” he said after winning his first title in only his 38th career start. “This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’m living it. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

“It’s been a long ride, but it sure is worth it.”

A long ride? Who is he, the Chicago Cubs?

Youthful hyperbole aside, it’s not surprising that Kim is harnessing his considerable talents. The skill-set was clearly there a year ago; the maturity was not. Kim enjoyed playing tournament golf, but practice? Not so much.

Some of Kim’s older peers on the Tour pulled him aside and advised him to tone down the swagger. Don’t always go for the heroic shot. Take what the course gives you. Work harder, and manage your game. This year, Kim has taken the advice to heart.

“I think if I had won last year, my practicing would have gone down to even less, and there wasn't much to go down," Kim said. “I might have been playing on the Hooters Tour. It might have been the best thing for me, just to get slapped in the face and realize that I can't win out here without practicing and giving it my all and focusing on every golf shot and on every practice round. That did wonders for me this year, and I'm just looking forward to the future now.”

That doesn’t mean he’s toned down his zest for the game, though. Kim still showed a healthy level of youthful exuberance in navigating the tough Quail Hollow layout, striking the proper balance between playing smart golf and just, well, playing.

“That’s the great thing, when you’re that young, you’ve got to make the most of it, because once you get a little bit older, that’s when the brain starts thinking too much, and that’s when you get in the way of yourself,” said Robert Allenby, who finished fourth. “(On Sunday) he just let himself go and just freed it up, and that’s why he’s playing so well.”

Kim becomes the 13th different player since 1970 to win on the PGA Tour before the age of 23, joining such current elites as Tiger Woods (20 years, nine months, six days old when he won his first tournament), Phil Mickelson (20 years, six months, 25 days) and Sergio Garcia (21 years, four months) among the diaper dandies of recent vintage. None was as dominant in his breakthrough as Kim, though. “It was very impressive,” said Kim’s playing partner, Heath Slocum. “From the get-go, he put his foot on the gas and never let off.”

So, was this a warning shot across Tiger’s bow? Is Kim a force to be reckoned with at this year’s big events, starting this week at the Players?

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But when you combine Kim’s talent with his newfound maturity, there are no limits.

“I'm a little bit numb right now, but that walk up 18 was the best feeling in my entire life, and I'll never forget that feeling,” he said. “I had chills going up and down my spine. I want to recreate that as many times as possible now, so I'm going to really work hard.”

Wachovia News and Notes

• The ever-popular, ever-sore Fred Couples continues to ignore his balky back and play excellent golf. Couples’ T-8 at Wachovia was his third top 10 of the year so far, marking the first time since 2005 that Couples has posted as many as three top 10s in a single season.

• The par-3 17th at Quail Hollow played to a stroke average of 3.418, making it the toughest par-3 thus far on the PGA Tour. Top that, No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass.

• On the week, Kim played Quail Hollow’s front nine in 15-under; the back nine in 1-under.

• Stewart Cink posted another top 10 this week (T-8), giving him six top 10s in 10 starts this season. He’s still looking for his first win since 2004.

A Loss for Lorena

Over on the LPGA Tour, Lorena Ochoa’s four-tournament winning streak finally came to an end at the hands of Paula Creamer and a tough Cedar Ridge layout in the SemGroup Championship. Creamer drained an eight-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat Juli Inkster. Ochoa finished tied for fifth, five shots behind Creamer and Inkster. “I don’t know why, but this was a tough course for me, especially on the greens,” Ochoa said. It’s the way it is. It’s golf. But I’m happy. I look forward to the next week.”

Let’s see — Ochoa didn’t have her “A-game” but still finished fifth. Sound like someone we know?

The emotional Creamer struck another blow for golf’s Kiddie Korps — at 21, she’s even younger than Anthony Kim, and this win was the sixth of her flourishing career.

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