TOP 20 IN THEIR 20S: Anthony Kim  Editor's Note: Our "Top 20 in Their 20s" series continues as PGATOUR.com counts down the top golfers on the PGA TOUR aged 20-29 over the next two weeks. The list is based on 14 statistical categories, including TOUR wins, Official World Golf Ranking, percentage of time spent in the top 10 throughout their career and 2007 FedExCup performance. Get to know No. 16: Anthony Kim.
The youngest rookie on the PGA TOUR in 2007 wasted no time in racking up some impressive stats during his short tenure. He boasts the 7th lowest closing round scoring average on TOUR, the 24th lowest actual scoring average and the 12th longest driving average.
The 22-year-old out of University of Oklahoma competed in just two Nationwide Tour events in 2006 before opting to cut his teeth on the PGA TOUR. In his TOUR debut, he made the most of his first sponsor's exemption at the '06 Valero Texas Open by tying for second. He then earned a second sponsor's exemption into the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, finishing tied for 16th. Those two starts alone had Kim amassing earnings of over $300,000 -- about what a Nationwide Tour player in the top three on the money list would earn after almost 20 events. He still had to earn his 2007 TOUR card through the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament but that didn't pose a problem for the three-time All-American. He tied for 13th at PGA West, a spot where the California native grew up playing the game. Kim attributes his success to college golf and says that so many younger players are having success on TOUR because of collegiate competition. "We're definitely better coming out of college," Kim said. "We're more prepared and we play similar conditions. We're ready to come out here and play." If anyone on TOUR came ready to play this year, it was Kim. Kim played in 26 events on TOUR in 2007 and, thanks to four top-10 finishes, walked away with over $1.5 million in earnings.
But a rookie season with a long, arduous schedule can take its toll as well. And it took a toll on Kim during the U.S. Open. After making the cut at the grueling Oakmont Country Club, Kim fell to the bottom of the standings -- way down, all the way to last place. "I was pretty comfortable but obviously I didn't play that way," Kim said after the third round of the U.S. Open. "I didn't know what to expect and I took a pretty good beating." However, Kim bounced back and shot a fourth round 67 to bring himself all the way up to a tie for 20th. And that's not the first time he's done that. Kim has shot 67 six times in closing rounds this year, as well as a 64, 65, 68 and a 69. Is there a secret to his ability to close when it counts? "Go hit it hard and find it and try to make the putt," is simply how Kim describes his game. Yet his basic strategy seems to be working, as his bank account and FedExCup standings can attest. What does Kim plan to do with his money this year? Buy his mom a house in San Diego. Who is No. 15? Hint: This PGA TOUR winner lists Superman as his hero. |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network