WASHINGTON -- There were all sorts of fun things to learn about Anthony Kim after he won the AT&T National. What's with the new flashy belt buckle? And what's the real story behind his decision to attend the University of Oklahoma?
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The belt buckle was unmistakable. Already known for wearing garish belt attire adorned with his initials, Kim donned a buckle featuring what appeared to be a diamonds embedded into the letters "AK" as he played Sunday's round at Congressional.
"It weighs a lot. It costs at lot," Kim said. "I'm glad I wore it today. I needed a big day."
Kim said the buckle arrived Wednesday from a clothing company that has him scheduled for a photo shoot Monday. He wasn't even sure if the sparkling things were diamonds.
"It looks like diamonds, and they are pretty upscale," Kim said. "So I would be very surprised if it isn't."
As for his Oklahoma drill, Kim said he planned to go to a school closer to his California home and accepted a visit to OU just to get tickets to a football game.
But the Sooners atmosphere at kickoff won him over.
"It started pouring rain," Kim said. "And I thought everyone was going to leave because that's what I was used to back home. And everyone decided that they were going to take off their shirts and stay. There were people going wild, and I just loved the atmosphere. That's why I chose OU, because of OU football."
Deep sixthed
Sure enough, that very, very long par 4 played key role in deciding the AT&T National.The final groups made a hash of the 518-yard sixth hole in Sunday's final round. The hole plays as a par 5 for members, but the PGA Tour decided to make it the third-longest par 4 the pros have faced so far this year.
In the next-to-last group, Nick O'Hearn landed in the front bunker and made bogey. Tim Herron made the green in 2, but he was about 70 feet from the pin and 3-putted for bogey. Jeff Overton had to lay up after putting his drive in the left rough, but he saved par with a tough 20-foot uphill putt.
In the final group, Steve Stricker put his drive to the right and had to lay up. Tommy Armour III drove left and laid up. Tom Pernice Jr. put his approach in the water that hugs the front right of the green.
Stricker and Armour made bogey; Pernice got a double bogey. The results moved Kim -- who was two groups ahead -- into a three-way tie for the lead, on his way to victory.
Kim, by the way, played the hole well, putting his approach within 17 feet. But he missed the putt and parred the hole.
