PGA Tour: Anthony Kim Looks to Jump Start His Career

Anthony Kim, who currently sits in second place three strokes behind leader Boo Weekly at the Verizon Heritage, is looking to jump start his career tomorrow.

Kim, 22, was one of the most highly touted players to enter the Tour since Tiger Woods.

With a nearly flawless golf swing and an average driving distance of 301 yards, it is easy to see why Kim is so highly regarded amongst golfing circles despite having not won a PGA Tour event.

Mark O'Meara has stated that Kim has a better swing than Tiger Woods had at a similar age.

"At 22, Tiger had already won six tournaments and I think Tiger's mental game was probably stronger. But technique-wise, I reckon Anthony's swing is better at 22 than what Tiger's was. I think I'm a pretty good judge of what I see in somebody's bag and what they've got in talent, and that kid has got it.....He could win multiple tournaments a year easily and win major championships. That's how talented he is in my opinion” O'Meara said during the Buick Invitational this past January.

In 2006, after playing just two events on the Nationwide Tour, Kim was offered a sponsor's exemption to play in the Valero Texas Open. Kim made the most of his exemption by finishing in a tie for second place.

Kim followed his strong showing at the Valero Texas Open by finishing in a tie for sixteenth in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, also attended through a sponsor's exemption.

In 2007 Kim finished in a tie for 13^th at the PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament, earning him an official place on the tour.

Kim played 26 PGA events in 2007 and finished in the top twenty-five ten times, amassing him over $1.5 million.

Kim is known around the tour as a very outspoken player, is considered to be 'highly confident' to say the least, and was rumored to have a physical altercation with his golf coach at the University of Oklahoma.

Kim can also get visibly upset with himself on the course, seemingly at the drop of a hat.

Kim has had an ongoing feud with his father which included not speaking to his Dad for over two years.

When Kim showed early signs of greatness on the golf course, his father made it his personal obsession to mold Kim into the perfect player. Kim's father's obsession went wildly overboard, which led to Anthony's alienation of him.

In his second full year on the Tour, Kim has made the cut in just half the tournaments he's played in.

Although hugely successful at a very young age, Kim is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory which could give his career the jump start he's been searching for.

It is clear that Kim has the talent to mature into a very successful tour player, whether his mental game has matured enough at this point to win tournaments remains to be seen.

A win tomorrow amongst a strong field of players at the Verizon Heritage could provide Kim with that jump start has been searching for.