Tiger Woods, Meet Anthony Kim: Your New Biggest Rival

After nearly 12 years, could we have finally seen the emergence of a legitimate competitor to Tiger Woods?

Golf fans get as excited as a child on Christmas morning just pondering the thought.

We thought it could have been Mickelson after his first major victory at the 2004 Masters, but Mickelson never had that killer instinct to take a tournament away from Tiger.  

We thought it could have been Adam Scott, but despite an abundance of talent and a near flawless golf swing, Scott’s career has not yet progressed in the way many thought it would. 

Now we have Anthony Kim. 

Kim could very well fall by the wayside as so many others before him have in terms of being a consistent competitor to Woods.  But what Kim has that the others before him did not is that so-called "X-Factor."

It's a mixture of skill, confidence, and personality that cannot really be described but is clearly present in every truly great athlete. Woods has it, Nicklaus had it, Hogan had it, etc. 

Ever since Anthony Kim’s first PGA Tour victory earlier this year at the Wachovia Championship, talk began circulating about the 23-year-old Kim having what it takes to challenge Woods. 

Then Kim went on to win Tiger Woods’ own tournament, The AT&T National, albeit Woods was at home on his couch recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.  

In July, Kim attended his first-ever British Open, where he had one of his most impressive outings of the season.  Kim’s performance at the 2008 British Open was largely overshadowed by Greg Norman’s unlikely resurgence and Padraig Harrington’s extraordinary display of shot-making on the back nine of the final round. 

Most American golfers take years to learn how to play British Open golf.  Many young American golfers have little experience playing links-style golf and no experience with the brutal weather often seen in England, Scotland and Wales. 

Kim took four days to adjust in some of the worst weather conditions seen at a British Open in a very long time.  He managed to finish seventh at Royal Birkdale while finishing second-to-last in the field in putting. 

Just go back and read that last sentence again and have a think about it.

Kim was the second worst putter in the entire field at the British Open and still managed to finish in seventh place.  Had Kim putted even halfway decently at Royal Birkdale, he would have run away with his first major championship. 

Then we have the 2008 Ryder Cup. 

Kim’s performance at the 2008 Ryder Cup was utterly outstanding.   

Not only did Kim play exceptional golf all week, he also brought with him a youthful energy that spread like wildfire throughout the entire American side and played a key role in America regaining the cup.

Out of all the players on Paul Azinger’s team, many of whom had an abundance of Ryder Cup experience, he chose 23-year-old Anthony Kim to lead the American team out in the final day’s single matches. 

If Kim hadn’t been nervous during first two days of Ryder Cup play, surely the task of leading the American side out during the final day’s singles matches would fray on his nerves, especially when he found out he would be taking on the American Ryder Cup team’s worst nemesis, Sergio Garcia, right? 

Nope, not a problem for the confident Kim.

Kim went out and handed Garcia his worst ever Ryder Cup defeat by beating him 5&4, swinging that all important momentum towards the American side; a momentum that would stick with the team throughout the afternoon eventually leading to America’s first Ryder Cup victory in nearly a decade.

Sure, Kim’s play on the course, as well as his infectious youthful energy played a key role in the Americans regaining the cup.  But, even more impressive than Kim’s play on the course was the way he thrived under the intense Ryder Cup pressure. 

Kim’s big accomplishment last week at Valhalla was not the way he hit the golf ball or how he routed Sergio Garcia.

It was how he showed the world he can handle any form of pressure thrown at him, a quality that will undoubtedly be needed when staring down Tiger Woods on the final day of a major. 

Kim admittedly spent most of last season partying hard and enjoying his newfound wealth. That behavior that can be expected from a young, wealthy 22-year-old kid. 

What is not normally seen from a young, wealthy 22-year-old kid is the ability to recognize that he is heading down the wrong road and quickly turn around his lifestyle, which is exactly Kim did in 2008. 

Under the guidance of PGA Tour veterans such as Mark O’Meara, Kim ceased his hard-partying ways and began concentrating solely on improving his game.

Kim’s newfound work ethic has resulted in two PGA Tour victories, a strong finish at the British Open and a dominant performance at the Ryder Cup.

What is going to happen as Kim continues to spend more time and effort improving his game? 

That question likely keeps Tiger Woods awake at night.

Will Anthony Kim be the next Tiger Woods? 

It is very doubtful.

Woods has 14 majors at the age the 33. If he is able to fully recover from his recent knee surgery, he is well on his way to becoming the greatest player to have ever picked up a golf club. 

Will Anthony Kim be golf’s next big superstar, racking up multiple majors throughout the course of his career? 

Much remains to be seen from Anthony Kim, but it is very possible. 

Could we have finally seen the emergence of a legitimate rival for Tiger Woods in Anthony Kim?

Time will tell, but Kim is undoubtedly golf’s biggest hope to take on that role.