Kim anticipates good week at Bridgestone
This week is a big one for the PGA. It is the second time this season that a regular event, the Turning Stone Resort Championship, overlaps with a WGC event. The WGC Bridgestone Invitational is taking centre stage this week and hosts a more prestigious field of golfers; the field is stacked with the top 55 golfers, a total of 82 players who are competing in the no-cut competition for the winner’s payout, with the lowest payout being $ 35,000. The winner will get $1.4 million.
No one is happier about the no-cut policy than Anthony Kim, who returns to the game today after a three-month hiatus in which he was recovering from thumb surgery. No one except Tiger Woods, that is.
“I have four days of golf guaranteed, even if I shoot 110,” Kim said in an interview Tuesday. “I haven’t played much golf, but I’m excited to be here.”
Kim had been noticing pains in his left thumb since he won the Houston Open in 2009, and after he finished third in this year’s Masters Tournament. Kim feared the worst, and toiled over whether or not to get surgery, a move could have threatened his bid for this year’s Ryder Cup team, one of his primary goals for the season.
“At Quail Hollow I started feeling like other parts of my body were breaking down because of my thumb, and I was starting to compensate. Just to prevent any further damage anywhere else, I wanted to get it taken care of," Kim recalled. "But 100 percent I wanted to be back for the Ryder Cup and try to do as much as I can to make that team. I think the timing was right.”
Before Kim had the thumb surgery he was in second place in the Ryder Cup points standings; today he has dropped into fifth place, which still says a lot about the caliber of his game. Not only was he able to achieve the second place standing – and with torn ligaments in his thumb no less – but after a three month absence from the sport he only dropped three places. Kim however, isn’t thrilled about his position, but is hoping to make up for it at Bridgestone.
"To even fall to No. 5 isn't a great feeling, but I know I can take care of that with some good play and not worry about that," he said.
Kim was so dedicated to making the U.S. Ryder Cup team that he even called team captain Corey Pavin after he got out of surgery to make sure Pavin didn’t forget about him while he was recovering.
"I told him, 'Listen to this and I'm done, I won't bother you again. I want to play on your team so bad that the reason I played hurt is to make the team. I promise you if you put me on the team, I'm going to have a good attitude going over there. I'm the kind of player you want,'" he said.
Kim’s surgery happened in early May this year, and now that he is back Kim wants nothing more than to prove himself to Pavin. Week by week he has been slowly getting back into the swing of things, and though he has lost about 20-yards off his drive, he says the balls are still going straight and it’s a plus just to be able to play this soon after surgery.
In the weeks that he was absent from the golf scene a lot has happened, although Kim admits he had not been paying attention to the competitions and statistics while he was at home recuperating.
"It's been very nice for me to be at home and not worry about what's going on in the golf world and just relax. And then come out here with a fresh attitude.”
The Bridgestone Invitational is taking place at the Firestone Country Club South course in Arkon, Ohio.
Tags: