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Kim roars to runaway victory
05/05/2008 07:24 - (SA)
North Carolina - American Anthony Kim became the youngest winner on the US PGA Tour in more than six years, capturing the Wachovia Championship in a rout on Sunday for his first PGA triumph.
The 22-year-old Asian-American took the $1.152m top prize at the $6.4m event with a final-round three-under par 69 to finish on 16-under 272, breaking the tournament record of 13-under set last year by Tiger Woods.
"This is what I've been dreaming about my whole life, and fulfilling this dream is awesome," said Kim, who was born in California of Korean parents, and now lives in Dallas.
"It has been a long ride, but it sure is worth it. I'm a little numb right now, but that walk up 18 was the best feeling of my entire life.
"I had chills going up and down my spine. I knew my life was changing on the green when I was lining up that putt. All these emotions started running through me and I realized what I had done."
Kim began the round with a four-stroke lead, stretched the margin to six strokes as he began the back side thanks to four birdies on the outward nine and cruised to the clubhouse without a serious challenge at Quail Hollow.
Victory
Former British Open champion Ben Curtis fired a 65 to finish second on 277 with American Jason Bohn on 278, Australian Robert Allenby on 279, Americans Dudley Hart and Heath Slocum on 280 and Jim Furyk on 281.
Kim's margin of victory was the largest in the event's brief six-year history.
Aussies Rod Pampling and Adam Scott shared seventh on 282 with US veterans Stewart Cink and Fred Couples.
In his 38th PGA start, Kim qualified for next year's masters by achieving his breakthrough victory after sharing a pair of runner-up finishes, last month at the Heritage Classic and in the 2006 Texas Open - his first PGA event.
Kim opened with a birdie, added two more on the par-5 fifth and seventh holes and another at the eighth to put a stranglehold on the lead. He dropped a 25-foot putt at the seventh and a 20-footer at the eighth.
By the finish he could afford mistakes. Kim took a bogey at 13, answered with birdies at the 14th and par-five 15th but settled for bogey at the 16th and 17th before a par at the last hole.
Kim had been touted as a potential superstar since his tie for second in his first US tour event. He was a respectable 60th on last year's money list, but was held back, he says himself, by his own immaturity.
'That did wonders'
"I think I've grown up this week," he said. "I was an immature kid last year. If I'd won last year my practicing would have gone down to even less, and there wasn't much to go down.
"It might have been the best thing for me, just to get slapped in the face and realize I can't win out there without practicing and giving it my all and focusing on every shot. That did wonders for me this year."
Slocum, Kim's playing partner on Sunday, was impressed with what he saw.
"From the get-go, he put his foot on the gas and never let off," Slocum said. "That was very, very impressive."
The prize money vaulted Kim into sixth on the money list - and into contention for a spot on the US Ryder Cup team.
With Boo Weekley also in the running, Paul Azinger's lineup to take on the Europeans in September could have some new blood.
"I haven't even thought about that," Kim said.
- AFP
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