Go Anthony Kim

transcript archive / PGATour

MARK STEVENS: We’d like to welcome Anthony Kim to the media room. Anthony started out the season at Mercedes with a tie for second and he had a tie for 30th last year at this event. If you’ll just start off with some general comments about your first event this year and kind of thoughts leading into the tournament this week.

AK: Well, I’ve gotten off to a good start, obviously finishing second at Mercedes, and taking some time off right before the tournament. So I feel like my game is starting to come around. I’m going to have to put in some hard work, but I’m looking forward to a good 2009.

Q. How is your shoulder?

AK: Shoulder feels great. I mean, it was a little tender, and I just didn’t want to push it early in the year. It was the last tournament, the TOUR Championship, I may have played, but I need to take care of it for the rest of the season. So I just thought it was smarter for me to take some time off and rehab.

Q. Did you get an MRI?

AK: I did.

Q. And it came out good?

AK: It came out good. It was nothing long-term, just strained it. It was a little bursitis, and it should be fine. Hopefully my game will show.

Q. How did you hurt the shoulder?

AK: You know, I think it was like hole No. 12 on the third round at Mercedes. I just swung too hard, probably trying to hit a drive too far, and just felt like I tweaked it, and it hurt pretty much the rest of the tournament. Obviously when you’re close to the lead, you don’t feel it as much.

Q. Camilo was in a couple minutes ago and was talking about how after his success last year he’s now kind of had to reevaluate, kind of raise his own bar, his own goals. Do you feel the same way?

AK: No, I don’t. I don’t really — I don’t set goals for myself besides the main goal for every player out here is to be the best player in the world. I’m just working to get there, and everything that comes along the way and gets in the way — like making the Ryder Cup was huge, and I wanted to do that, but it wasn’t something where if I didn’t do it now, it would tear me apart, because eventually I’m going to get there. I’m going to keep working and keep grinding away, and one day it’ll happen. So I just want to stay on the same path I am now and elevate my game to a different level.

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By Peter Hutcheon / Belfast Telegraph

Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon reckons Rory McIlroy is one of two main challengers to the world number one.

Harmon singled out McIlroy from the European Tour and American Anthony Kim from the PGA Tour as the two players most likely to put pressure on Woods when he returns from injury in the spring.

“Woods is mentally a very strong character. You can’t see his strength because it’s all up there in his mind, he’s so strong,” Harmon said.

“At the same time there are a few young players who are doing very well and if I were to pick one from each Tour, I’d pick Anthony Kim and Rory McIlroy.”

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The Arizona Republic

1. Phil Mickelson
The former Arizona State star, who has won 34 PGA Tour titles, remains the people’s choice in these parts. He has won the FBR Open twice, reached a playoff last year and is making his 2009 debut this week.

2. Camilo Villegas
The Colombian makes female fans swoon and showed last year that he has plenty of game by winning the BMW Championship and Tour Championship back-to-back. His Spider-Man method of reading putts drives galleries wild.

3. Anthony Kim
Another young gun who won two titles last year, earned $4.66 million, and was a sparkplug of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Pulled out of last week’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic as a precaution because of a sore shoulder.

4. Geoff Ogilvy
The former U.S. Open champion and Scottsdale resident started the year by winning last month’s Australian PGA, his first victory in his home country. He followed up by winning the Mercedes Championship in the PGA Tour season opener.

5. J.B. Holmes
Defending champion and 2006 FBR Open winner has the length and game perfectly suited for TPC Scottsdale. Coming off a season when he posted eight top-10s and went 2-0-1 in the Ryder Cup.

6. Mark Calcavecchia
The only three-time winner at the TPC Scottsdale, Calcavecchia’s candor and aggressive style make him a favorite at this event, where he shot 28-under 256 in 2001, setting or tying seven tour records. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in October.

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After missing the opportunity to play before his hometown crowd at this week’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in La Quinta due to a sore shoulder, PGATour.com is reporting that Anthony Kim is in the field for next week’s FBR Open.

The 74th playing of the FBR Open takes place January 26th – February 1st in Scottsdale, Arizona at the TPC Scottsdale. Other notables in the field include: Chad Campbell, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan, two-time winner Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Camilo Villegas, and defending champion (and two-time winner) J.B. Holmes.

Last year’s Open saw J.B. Holmes defeat Phil Mickelson on the first playoff hole. That was the second playoff for Mickelson at the FBR. In 1996 Phil defeated Justin Leonard on the 3rd playoff hole. Phil has played the FBR Open 16 times (the most) taking home $1,645,747.00 in earnings.

With a $6,000,00 purse and $1,080,000 going to the winner, this will be the biggest tournament of the 2009 PGA Tour.

Want to talk to other AK fans about next weeks tournament? Head on over the Forum and post your questions and comments.