Musings: Kim creating Tiger-like buzz

Calm down, everyone; the kid’s not another Tiger Woods. Let’s just let him be Anthony Kim, and see where that takes us. The early returns are spectacular enough without the added burden of trying to fill the role of chief challenger to the Player of the Century.

Still, there is an historical echo in what we are seeing out of Kim, who captured Tiger’s AT&T National this weekend for his second win of the season. Think back to the 1960 U.S. Open, where Arnold Palmer, golf’s reigning king, had to hold off a chubby kid with a prodigious game named Jack Nicklaus. Even then, Jack’s ascendancy took on an air of inevitability, and Kim is creating a similar aura of expectation.

When Woods placed his congratulatory phone call to Kim, you have to wonder if the conversation was setting the stage for some future passing of the baton. After all, the 23-year-old became only the fourth player under 25 over the last decade with multiple Tour wins in the same season, joining Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and, yes, Woods. Both of Kim’s wins have come on major-caliber layouts; his dominant victory at the Wachovia this season came at a tough Quail Hollow track against an elite field, and his AT&T win came at Congressional Country Club, site of several historic majors and moments.

Other phenoms have burst onto the scene, only to disappear just as quickly. Kim seems to have staying power, based on the strength and versatility of his overall game. He has no apparent weakness — he’s fourth in the Tour’s All-Around category; second in scoring (69.55); eighth in driving distance; 20th in putting; and fifth in FedExCup points and earnings.

Kim’s not going to get ahead of himself, though. He knows that any talk of challenging Woods is so premature as to be laughable. “'I’ve got to win about 13 more majors to worry him in any aspect,” Kim said.

He’s not about to anoint himself as the top twenty-something, either. “I can’t answer that, because guys like Sergio and Justin Rose, there’s upcoming guys right now,” he said. “Jason Day is a great player, and there’s going to be quite a few challengers, and hopefully somebody can step up. I haven’t done enough to say I’m the guy. I’d like to think I can work my way into that position. But right now, I still have a ways to go.”

But now that Woods has left a massive void at the game’s apex for the foreseeable future, it’s natural for golf scribes to look for the next big thing, and in that regard, Kim is as big as anyone. As the British Open approaches, Kim provides a natural storyline in Tiger’s absence — much like Woods himself did a decade ago, when Greg Norman and Nick Faldo were in decline, and the game was aching for a new superstar.

But it’s not only sportswriters who are effusively singing Kim’s praises. His fellow competitors are awed by his talent. Here’s a small sample:

Dean Wilson — “Awesome. Very confident, very aggressive the way he plays. He’s always shooting at the pins, and it’s pretty good. He’s got exceptional skills, and I think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg with this kid.”

Fred Funk — “He’s fearless and he’s got tremendous length for a little guy, and he’s just got that arrogance, cocky attitude that you need to have when he’s in the position that he’s in, and he’s got the game to back it up.”

Fredrik Jacobson — “He’s got a lot of game. He’s a great ball-striker. Hits it far. He’s got good flight on his long irons as well. So he’s a guy that can play really well on tough courses.”

Kim toyed with the storied Congressional layout, shooting four rounds in the 60s, including a final-round 65 that allowed him to hold off Jacobson by two shots. Four players, including Jim Furyk and Robert Allenby, were another shot back.

So, Kim becomes perhaps the dominant storyline for the remainder of 2008. Can he contend at the British Open and/or the PGA Championship and become the youngest major winner since Woods at the 1997 Masters? Can he lead the U.S. team to Ryder Cup glory in Woods’ absence? Will he welcome Woods back to the Tour in 2009 as the caretaker of Tiger’s No. 1 spot in the hearts and minds of golf fans?

As reluctant as he is to grab the mantel, Kim senses that a significant opportunity lies ahead as Woods recuperates. “(Tiger’s) done so much for the game,” Kim said. “But at the same time, we need to step up, and I think it’s going to be an important time for all the young guys.”

Chase for the Cup

The Ryder Cup picture is starting to round into focus. Captain Paul Azinger has made it clear that he wants the hottest players on his team, and even without Woods, there are plenty of those right now. The top eight players through the PGA Championship will automatically make the team, with Azinger getting four at-large selections. With Woods out, Nos. 2-9 become the automatic picks. Here’s the current top 20 in Ryder Cup points on the American side:

Rank	Player	Points	Rank	Player	Points
1.	Tiger Woods	11365.627	11.	Steve Stricker	2088.082
2.	Stewart Cink	4906.065	12.	D.J. Trahan	2063.136
3.	Phil Mickelson	4419.030	13.	Hunter Mahan	2057.517
4.	Kenny Perry	3626.350	14.	Zach Johnson	2046.291
5.	Jim Furyk	3210.332	15.	Jeff Quinney	2013.587
6.	Justin Leonard	3065.016	16.	Rocco Mediate	1971.840
7.	Boo Weekley	2591.545	17.	J.B. Holmes	1964.139
8.	Anthony Kim	2339.310	18.	Bart Bryant	1824.987
9.	Woody Austin	2200.799	19.	Sean O'Hair	1758.918
10.	Brandt Snedeker	2088.287	20.	Jerry Kelly	1700.573

Early Favorite

If you’re looking for a favorite at next week’s British Open, you have to consider Sergio Garcia. He’s shown signs of life with his putter, which has long been his nemesis in the majors. His win at the Players earlier this year showed he could win on the biggest stage. He has posted three straight top-5 finishes at the Open. Perhaps most important, there’s no Tiger Woods to distract and intimidate him.

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