Anthony Kim
Encyclopedia
Anthony Ha-Jin Kim is an American professional golfer.
, Kim was born in Los Angeles
, California and resides in Dallas, Texas. He attended La Quinta High School
in La Quinta, California
. After high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma
for three years; this is where he met his caddie, Brodie Flanders. He was part of the winning USA team in the 2005 Walker Cup
.
debut at the 2006 Valero Texas Open
. He earned his PGA Tour card through the qualifying school for the 2007 season. He made a strong start and broke into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings
in May 2007 with four top 10 finishes during his rookie season on the PGA Tour. In the 2007 U.S. Open, he shot a final round 67 earning him a tie for 20th place (he started the day at T57). His 67 was the lowest for the round and second lowest for the tournament.
In May 2008, Kim won his first PGA Tour tournament at the Wachovia Championship
, defeating former British Open
champion Ben Curtis
by five shots. Kim's 16-under par 272 total is the lowest score in the tournament's history. He shot an opening day 70, but rallied for subsequent rounds of 67–66–69 and was several shots clear of Curtis most of the final round. He earned $1,152,000 for his victory, and reached a new career high of 16th in the world rankings.
In July 2008, Kim won his second PGA Tour tournament at the AT&T National
, defeating Fredrik Jacobson
by two shots. Kim shot a 5 under 65 in the fourth round to capture the title. The victory was especially meaningful because the tournament is hosted by Tiger Woods
. Furthermore, Kim became the first American under 25 to win twice in one year on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods in 2000. This win moved him to 14th in the World Rankings. A pair of T-3 finishes in the final two 2008 FedEx Cup events pushed him to 6th in the World Rankings. He has spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 since 2008.
In September 2008, Kim was a critical part of the United States' victory in the Ryder Cup
, defeating Ryder Cup veteran Sergio García
5 & 4 in the first match of the Sunday single matches. Later that year he joined the European Tour for the 2009 season, making his debut as a member at the 2008 HSBC Champions
, the first tournament of the 2009 season. He is expected to continue to play mainly in the United States.
At the 2009 Masters Tournament
in Augusta, Georgia
at Augusta National Golf Club
, Kim set the record for most birdies in a round with eleven in the second round, surpassing Nick Price
, who had ten birdies in 1986.
At the 2009 Presidents Cup
, Kim posted an impressive 3–1 record, which included a 5 and 3 victory over Robert Allenby
in the Sunday singles match.
Kim lost to Ross Fisher
in the finals of the Volvo World Match Play in October 2009 4 & 3 after once again beating Robert Allenby
in the semi-finals.
On April 4, 2010, Kim won the Shell Houston Open
, beating Vaughn Taylor
in a playoff. He became only the fifth player in 30 years to have won three times on the PGA Tour before the age of 25, the others being Tiger Woods
, Phil Mickelson
, Sergio García
and Adam Scott. An injury hampered most of the rest of the 2010 season for Kim, and he failed to qualify for the 2010 Ryder Cup
.
Kim also participated in the fourth episode of the second season of Shaq Vs.
, which aired on August 24, 2010. In the episode, Kim teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal
against fellow golf pro Bubba Watson
and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley
in a five-hole match. Team Shaq won in sudden death with O'Neal making the winning twenty-five foot putt.
* Complete through the 2011 season.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tie
Yellow background for top-10.
Professional
Amateur career
A Korean AmericanKorean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
, Kim was born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California and resides in Dallas, Texas. He attended La Quinta High School
La Quinta High School (La Quinta, California)
La Quinta High School is one of six public high schools, grades 9-12, in the Desert Sands Unified School District. It is located in the La Quinta, California. The school was a California Distinguished Schools award winner in 1999, 2003 and 2011.-History:...
in La Quinta, California
La Quinta, California
La Quinta is a resort city in Riverside County, California, USA, specifically in the Coachella Valley between Indian Wells and Indio. The population was 37,467 at the 2010 census, up from 23,694 at the 2000 census. The Robb Report credits La Quinta as the nation's leading golf destination...
. After high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
for three years; this is where he met his caddie, Brodie Flanders. He was part of the winning USA team in the 2005 Walker Cup
2005 Walker Cup
The 40th Walker Cup Match was held between August 13 and August 14, 2005 at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. Team United States won 12½ to 11½.-Format:...
.
Professional career
Kim turned professional in 2006 and after receiving a sponsor's exemption he finished in a tie for second on his PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
debut at the 2006 Valero Texas Open
Valero Texas Open
The Valero Texas Open is an official tournament on the PGA Tour. It dates back to 1922 when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. In 2003, it was the site of the...
. He earned his PGA Tour card through the qualifying school for the 2007 season. He made a strong start and broke into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
in May 2007 with four top 10 finishes during his rookie season on the PGA Tour. In the 2007 U.S. Open, he shot a final round 67 earning him a tie for 20th place (he started the day at T57). His 67 was the lowest for the round and second lowest for the tournament.
In May 2008, Kim won his first PGA Tour tournament at the Wachovia Championship
Wachovia Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship, known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship, is a PGA Tour golf tournament. The event is held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in early May. It was first played in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and has attracted some of the top...
, defeating former British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
champion Ben Curtis
Ben Curtis (golfer)
Ben Clifford Curtis is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 2003 Open Championship.-Early career:Curtis was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Ostrander, Ohio. His family runs the , also in Ostrander...
by five shots. Kim's 16-under par 272 total is the lowest score in the tournament's history. He shot an opening day 70, but rallied for subsequent rounds of 67–66–69 and was several shots clear of Curtis most of the final round. He earned $1,152,000 for his victory, and reached a new career high of 16th in the world rankings.
In July 2008, Kim won his second PGA Tour tournament at the AT&T National
AT&T National
The AT&T National is a professional golf tournament held in the Washington D.C. area during the Fourth of July weekend. The PGA Tour event is hosted by Tiger Woods and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007, at the Blue Course of the Congressional...
, defeating Fredrik Jacobson
Fredrik Jacobson
Fredrik Ulf Yngve Jacobson is a Swedish professional golfer.Jacobson was born in Kungsbacka. He turned professional in 1994 and was a member of the European Tour in 1995 and from 1997 to 2004. In 2003 he won his first European Tour title, and went on to claim two more victories that season...
by two shots. Kim shot a 5 under 65 in the fourth round to capture the title. The victory was especially meaningful because the tournament is hosted by Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. Furthermore, Kim became the first American under 25 to win twice in one year on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods in 2000. This win moved him to 14th in the World Rankings. A pair of T-3 finishes in the final two 2008 FedEx Cup events pushed him to 6th in the World Rankings. He has spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 since 2008.
In September 2008, Kim was a critical part of the United States' victory in the Ryder Cup
2008 Ryder Cup
The 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
, defeating Ryder Cup veteran Sergio García
Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings...
5 & 4 in the first match of the Sunday single matches. Later that year he joined the European Tour for the 2009 season, making his debut as a member at the 2008 HSBC Champions
HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,...
, the first tournament of the 2009 season. He is expected to continue to play mainly in the United States.
At the 2009 Masters Tournament
2009 Masters Tournament
The 2009 Masters Tournament was the 73rd Masters Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club and was played from April 9-12. This was the first major championship of the 2009 season.-Field:...
in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
at Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
, Kim set the record for most birdies in a round with eleven in the second round, surpassing Nick Price
Nick Price
Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:...
, who had ten birdies in 1986.
At the 2009 Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
, Kim posted an impressive 3–1 record, which included a 5 and 3 victory over Robert Allenby
Robert Allenby
Robert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.Allenby was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was from Leeds, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man.-Professional career:...
in the Sunday singles match.
Kim lost to Ross Fisher
Ross Fisher
Ross Daniel Fisher is an English professional golfer, who plays on the European Tour.Fisher was born in Ascot, Berkshire. His home course is the famous Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey, England, location of the European Tour administrative headquarters. As a child, he attended Charters School, a state...
in the finals of the Volvo World Match Play in October 2009 4 & 3 after once again beating Robert Allenby
Robert Allenby
Robert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.Allenby was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was from Leeds, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man.-Professional career:...
in the semi-finals.
On April 4, 2010, Kim won the Shell Houston Open
Shell Houston Open
The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...
, beating Vaughn Taylor
Vaughn Taylor
Vaughn Joseph Taylor is an American golfer who turned professional in 1999.Taylor was born in Roanoke, Virginia but was raised in Augusta, Georgia from infancy. After attending Hephzibah High School, he played golf for Augusta State University where he was an honorable mention All-American his...
in a playoff. He became only the fifth player in 30 years to have won three times on the PGA Tour before the age of 25, the others being Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
, Sergio García
Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings...
and Adam Scott. An injury hampered most of the rest of the 2010 season for Kim, and he failed to qualify for the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
.
Kim also participated in the fourth episode of the second season of Shaq Vs.
Shaq Vs.
Shaq Vs. is an American reality television show produced for ABC by Dick Clark Productions and Media Rights Capital starring American basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. It began airing on August 18, 2009....
, which aired on August 24, 2010. In the episode, Kim teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
against fellow golf pro Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson
Gerry "Bubba" Watson is an American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being...
and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
in a five-hole match. Team Shaq won in sudden death with O'Neal making the winning twenty-five foot putt.
PGA Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 4, 2008 2008 PGA Tour The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and... |
Wachovia Championship Wachovia Championship The Wells Fargo Championship, known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship, is a PGA Tour golf tournament. The event is held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in early May. It was first played in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and has attracted some of the top... |
5 strokes |  Ben CurtisBen Curtis (golfer) Ben Clifford Curtis is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 2003 Open Championship.-Early career:Curtis was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Ostrander, Ohio. His family runs the , also in Ostrander... |
|
| 2 | Jul 6, 2008 2008 PGA Tour The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and... |
AT&T National AT&T National The AT&T National is a professional golf tournament held in the Washington D.C. area during the Fourth of July weekend. The PGA Tour event is hosted by Tiger Woods and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007, at the Blue Course of the Congressional... |
2 strokes |  Fredrik JacobsonFredrik Jacobson Fredrik Ulf Yngve Jacobson is a Swedish professional golfer.Jacobson was born in Kungsbacka. He turned professional in 1994 and was a member of the European Tour in 1995 and from 1997 to 2004. In 2003 he won his first European Tour title, and went on to claim two more victories that season... |
|
| 3 | Apr 4, 2010 2010 PGA Tour The 2010 PGA Tour season ran from January 7 to November 14. The season consisted of 46 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour.-Schedule:... |
Shell Houston Open Shell Houston Open The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament... |
Playoff | Vaughn Taylor Vaughn Taylor Vaughn Joseph Taylor is an American golfer who turned professional in 1999.Taylor was born in Roanoke, Virginia but was raised in Augusta, Georgia from infancy. After attending Hephzibah High School, he played golf for Augusta State University where he was an honorable mention All-American his... |
PGA Tour career summary
| Year | Starts | Cuts made | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10 | Top 25 | Earnings ($) | Money list rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 338,067 | (non-member) |
| 2007 | 26 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1,545,195 | 60 |
| 2008 | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 4,656,265 | 6 |
| 2009 | 22 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1,972,155 | 39 |
| 2010 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2,574,921 | 24 |
| 2011 | 26 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1,085,846 | 87 |
| Career* | 112 | 82 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 43 | 12,172,449 | 91 |
* Complete through the 2011 season.
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | T20 | 3 | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T20 | T26 | T16 | DNP | T54 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | T7 | CUT | DNP | T5 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T50 | T55 | T51 | CUT | CUT |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tie
Yellow background for top-10.
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur- Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
: 20052005 Walker CupThe 40th Walker Cup Match was held between August 13 and August 14, 2005 at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. Team United States won 12½ to 11½.-Format:...
(winners)
Professional
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
: 20082008 Ryder CupThe 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
(winners) - Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
: 20092009 Presidents CupUnited States 19½ - International 14½The 8th Presidents Cup Matches were held October 8–11, 2009 at the Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco, California. The United States team won the golf competition by a margin of 19½–14½, their second consecutive win by that exact score and third in a row...
(winners)