CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- This time, it seemed best to be cautious.
Frankly, given the output of the past few can't-miss prospects who have come down the grassy pike, it was the prudent thing to do.
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| Kim's confidence will surely grow after this win. Let's see how far he goes. (Getty Images) |
Just like a legion before him.
Not to point fingers, but players such as Charles Howell, Ryan Moore and Bryce Molder have all been anointed as potential heir apparent to the best in the game, and to varying degrees, the err has been apparent in that over-estimation. All three are still successfully plying their trade in the game, of course, alongside dozens of other 20-somethings trying to establish a foothold.
Kim, a three-time All-American who was born in Los Angeles, left Oklahoma after three seasons in 2006 and quickly finished second in a PGA Tour event while playing on a sponsor exemption. Ever since, the reviews of his game have been stellar, the results somewhat less superlative. This time, we let the meter run for a while and allowed the kid to remove his training wheels.
Biding our time, biting our lip.
At 22, Kim had plenty of time to carve a niche and didn't need the hype machine to make the road any steeper. Besides, he did enough self-promotional popping off on his own last year as a rookie. So, here we go ...
Kim, one of the most promising, complete players to join the tour in years, delivered on his considerable expectations Sunday at the Wachovia Championship. He ventilated the field on a sun-splashed day, obliterating the tournament record by three shots by finishing 16-under par against a field that had 18 of the top 25 players in the world.
See if any of this sounds familiar, because at the rate stars are defined and deified almost overnight in this era of instant gratification, the similarities now will quickly be drawn: Kim was born in Southern California, raised in an Asian household and jumped into the professional ranks with a fast, flashy splash. It's no coincidence that playing partner Jason Bohn fairly gushed when he described Kim's play in the third round as "Tigeresque."
This week, Kim did everything but say, "Hello world."
For once, the worn comparisons to Woods don't seem like a complete stretch. Unlike several other of the under-30 gang, Kim doesn't have any holes in his game. He can putt in the clutch, finds plenty of greens, crushes the ball off the tee and is no shrinking violet with a microphone in his face, either.
"I think he is light-years ahead of most guys his age," said Adam Schriber, who has coached Kim since age 14. "I have always said his golf I.Q. is off the charts."
