Kim and Toms Withdrawal From Open
Anthony Kim and David Toms have announced that they will be pulling out of the 2010 British Open.
Kim, who has been having a stellar 2010 season, has been forced out of the British Open, due to a nagging thumb injury. Although the withdrawal does not come as a surprise, he was still marked to appear in the event. Kim received surgery on his thumb after tearing a ligament, an injury he had been playing through most of the season. However, when the injury became too much for him, Kim opted for surgery, which was to keep him out for at least 10 weeks.
“Compensating for it was beginning to cause other issues, including a sore shoulder,” explained Kim. He is expected to make it back for the Canadian Open the following week.
David Toms has also been battling an injury, except in his shoulder. Toms is said to have been struggling since the Spring with a bone spur in his rotator cuff. He has been trying to play through it this season instead of opting for surgery. Unfortunately Toms has played for four straight weeks and his shoulder simply could not take the stress of the Open Championship.
Kim and Toms are set to be replaced with American hopefuls Ricky Barnes who is best known for his second place finish at the 2009 US Open, and 1997 US PGA Championship winner Davis Love. Love and Barnes are the highest ranking golfers on the world stage that were not exempt from qualification. Sitting at 64th and 68th respectively the two men only missed out on qualifying by two and five strokes.
The replacement of Love means that he will be continuing his streak of playing in every Open since his first appearance in 1987. Although Love has recently been struggling, it was only six years ago that he finished fourth at the British Championship.
Now that Barnes and Davis have been called up, Australian Jason Day and British golfer Brian Davis are the next on tap to fill in if any other drop outs should occur.
The loss of Kim will certainly be felt as the 25-year-old American recently finished third at the Masters in April and ranks third on the US Ryder Cup rankings. Along with this Kim currently sits at number 11 in the world golf rankings and sits sixth on the PGA Tour Money List with earnings totaling over $2 million. In eight events this year Kim has managed to finish in the top 10.
Toms has also had a solid season and was playing a lot in order to gear up for the Championship. The loss of Toms however will not be as noticeable. The 43-year-old American currently ranks 67th in golf rankings, while his replacement Love, sits only one spot behind him. Toms is also only 104th on the money list, with his total earnings just below $600,000 after competing in 14 events.
The loss of Kim will be difficult for American fan as Kim represented one of the best chances for the Americans at this year’s open. Instead fans will be rooting for Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and a struggling Tiger Woods. While the withdrawal of Toms opens the door for Davis Love to maintain his 23 year streak of appearances at the fabled event.
With European players already convinced that they can break the American hold on golf, the loss of these two players from across the pond will only make their case stronger. Seeking revenge after losing the U.S. Open to a Briton, the American group playing at the Open will need to work harder than ever.
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