Anthony Kim
By Choi Yearn-hong
As a senior citizen, I play golf once a week these days. It is a summer sport. Summer means a sand beach, sea wave, seagull and surfing under the blue sky. To a retiree, golf is a good pastime on the green.
Looking at the ball flying 200 yards is fun. Placing it on the green is another thing that is fun. Putting it into a hole from 10-feet away is a pure joy. It is my game, even with my close friends playing together as a team for a couple of hours or so.
I can play golf with my children, so it can be a family sport as well.
Last week, I enjoyed watching Anthony Kim, a new celebrated golfer who has made colorful stories with his blatant spoken words, unusual color of T-shirt and a different pair of socks when he made his champion game last year in the Congressional Country Club not very far from where I now reside.
This year he has drawn an equal media attention with Tiger Woods. He deserved such massive attention as last year's champion and the first day historic record round of 62.
Golf Digest sketched Anthony Kim: Brash. Humble. Strong. Soft. Not to mention, fearless, funny and combative. At 23, he is Tiger Woods' next challenger. He is already a charismatic golfer.
The Congressional Country Club has one of the most difficult golf courses. At the first hole at the club in the final round, Anthony Kim struck his iron shot a foot from the hole, tapped in for birdie and took the lead from Tiger Woods in his own tournament. Kim was just a young player who was not afraid of anyone, including Tiger.
By the time the pair, playing head-to-head in the final group, walked off the fourth green, the throngs in a record crowd that packed the gallery ropes six-deep were in a frenzy. Most screamed ``Tiger, Tiger," as he passed. Other yelled, ``Come on, A.K., you can take him down."
It was a fun to watch Anthony Kim. His ball landed off the fairway four consecutive times. Nevertheless, he managed par. As Woods and Kim walked up to the 18th hole, with Woods' ball safely on the final green where his 67 would leave him at 13 under par, with a one shot win over Hunter Mahan and Kim left 4 shots back in the third place, the 33-year old host turned to the 24 year old who is often seen as his most likely challenger in the future.
``I enjoyed it. There will be many more to come," Woods said to Kim, with whom he had never played, not even in practice ― an oddity at the top levels of golf. ``Just keep working hard and we will do this for many more years."
Kim seemed stunned a bit by the whole first encounter with Woods: ``I had a lot of fun. It was a good learning experience. I will be knocking on the door again. It is only a matter of time." He continued to say, ``I don't really care what Tiger Woods is doing. It is about my game."
From his statement, I could feel who Anthony Kim was. He was and will have the confidence to confront Tiger Woods in the future.
Yes, golf is his own or her own game. He or she does not need to think Tiger Woods or any other player. The golfers should improve their own plays. Woods will play his game and dominate the green world for a while as the ``Emperor."
Kim may challenge the Emperor and someday he will be a new emperor. His blue T-shirt and Woods' red T-shirt were well contrasting on the green in the Congressional Country Club.
I found another young player named Denny Lee who finished tied for seventh at the same AT&T National. His top-10 finish earned him a spot in this week's John Deere Classic.
Lee took home $180,750 from the AT&T National, giving him $350,054 for the year. He is not bad as a new young player. He is the reigning U.S. amateur champion at 18. He is another amazing kid on the golf course, originally from New Zealand.
Lee said, ``I am just jumped up that I can play another PGA event with all those great players in the world. I am just happy to be there and happy to golf there and play well."
I saw K.J. Choi. Choi was the 2007 champion. Now, I see Kim and Lee in the PGA Tournaments. I like to see them as the winners of the tournaments. Summer is not boring at all even in the air-conditioned room with a television set.
LPGA means Korean young ladies. PGA means Korean young men, or becoming. When I am rounding with my American friends, they often ask me, ``Are you K.J. Choi's relative?" I just smiled at them.
Of course, I am not good as K.J., but my last name is Choi.
Dr. Choi is a poet and writer. He is also an amateur golfer in the public golf course in the Washington area. He can be reached at yearnhchoi@gmail.com.