Young stars growing up in front of golf world

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- It was the least subtle grouping followed by the least subtle groupies.

In the temporary absence of Tiger Woods, the golf world has been looking for someone new to emerge from the crowd. Judging from the size (not to mention sex and sensuality) of the folks gathered outside the ropes, the expectation seemed to be that the next big thing was going to come from the threesome of Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim.

Sergio Garcia shoots an opening-round 69 and is just one stroke off the lead. (AP)

"Yeah, it was great," said Garcia, a veteran of the major spotlight. "Anthony is a great guy. Obviously I'm good friends with Camilo. It was very enjoyable."

While Garcia has weathered enough major turmoil since he was 19 to make him the most seasoned 28-year-old on the planet, the 22-year-old Kim is fast-tracking his way into the conversation of the world's best twenty-something.

With two PGA Tour victories on major-quality venues already this year (Quail Hollow and Congressional) and a top 10 finish in his links debut at the British Open, Kim is the fashionable choice to be the next breakout star in golf. While the females who thronged to get as close as possible to the three bachelor studs at Oakland Hills might disagree, Kim is the hottest guy in the under-30 set. At least from a pure golfing standpoint.

Even Garcia -- the reigning Players champion and greatest player never to have won a major -- agrees.

"I think this is the first time I played a tournament round with Anthony, and it's very impressive," Garcia said after finishing one stroke ahead of Kim thanks to the kid's overly aggressive bogey on their closing par-3 ninth.

Garcia (69), Sean O'Hair (69), Kim (70) and Ryan Moore (70) were the only twenty-somethings to finish at par or better after the first round. Fellow rising stars Andres Romero (2-under) and J.B. Holmes (even) were also in the leaderboard mix before their rounds were suspended by darkness Thursday.

With a leaderboard loaded with players from all stripes on the accomplishment spectrum, you got the impression that some of the young stars were growing up before our eyes.

Take Garcia. The swash-buckling Spaniard was a master of restraint on a course renowned as the Monster and showing much of its menace. Despite hitting only four fairways and nine greens, he grinded his way to a sub-par round.

"You know, 1-under par on this course, I'm thrilled with it," Garcia said. "So hopefully I can go to the range and get a little bit more confidence in my driving abilities, because you have to be in the fairway on this course. You can't be missing a lot of fairways and expect to do well throughout the whole week. It's too much of a gamble."

Garcia taught a trick to Kim on their last hole when he played safely away from the pin to set up a solid par while the newbie got skewered for pin-seeking.