Anthony Kim denies rumours regarding his withdrawal from Las Vegas tournament
When Anthony Kim suddenly withdrew from the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, the Las Vegas PGA Tour stop last month, rumours
swirled about the real reason for the surprise decision.
According to various reports, Kim sprayed a $25,000 bottle of Dom Perignon on a Vegas dance floor and was reportedly described as a “loose cannon” by a local card dealer. When the sudden
withdrawal was made public, many wondered if it was his wild partying that prompted the decision.
But Kim, who finished T25 place at the HSBC Champions event this past week in his first event since the Timberlake, denies all claims.
“I didn’t even feel like I needed to defend myself, they were so outrageous,” Kim said of the reports. “I can’t do anything about it now and they’re going to say what they want to say.”
Kim had missed a lot of time since undergoing thumb surgery this past May. Arriving in Las Vegas, he claimed that the thumb was no longer an issue, which made his withdrawal citing thumb
pain even more mysterious. But he described his decision as precautionary.
“Even this week was questionable (whether I’d play),” he said. “I’m still icing it (the thumb) after every round, every practice session. It was precautionary (pulling out of Vegas) but
at the same time I don’t want to rush into next season and not be ready.”
The 25-year-old Kim, who has three career wins on the PGA Tour, is thought to be one of the most promising young American talents currently on tour. And the stories out of Vegas weren’t
the first to portray Kim as a party animal. Robert Allenby, after losing to Kim in the singles session of the 2009 President’s Cup, lashed out at the late-night habits of Kim.
"Maybe we should all take the theory of Anthony Kim," Allenby said after his loss. "Get home at 4 o'clock [in the morning] and then go shoot 6 under."
But Kim is focusing on his golf game and saw some promising signs at the HSBC.
“This is the first week I’ve hit it well since I’ve been back,” he said. “I’m starting to hit my driver as far as I used to, so I’m looking forward to future success. I have another month
of rehab to go but the doctor says I’m looking good. I feel I’m about 85-90 percent there.”
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