TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

It Could Be Time For Villegas, Kim

ADVERTISEMENT

A Tribune wire report

Published: January 8, 2009

KAPALUA, Hawaii - Tiger Woods sometimes will glance over his shoulder on his highway to history, not worried about anyone on his bumper but curious to see what the traffic looks like behind him.

He noticed Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas when they effectively were still learning to drive.

Villegas was still a raw but talented rookie when he livened up the Miami crowd and finished second to Woods three years ago at Doral. Kim joined the tour a year later, mostly making news with his mouth, but showing enough game to get the attention of golf's best player.

Woods had a clear view of their potential while recovering from two knee surgeries last year.

Kim broke Woods' scoring record at the Wachovia Championship with a five-shot victory, then won Woods' tournament with a 65 at Congressional in the AT&T National. He was sixth on the PGA Tour money list and moved up 63 spots to No. 12 in the world ranking.

Villegas took baby steps until bursting through with victories in the BMW Championship and Tour Championship - both won by Woods the previous year - to finish second in the FedEx Cup and move up 49 spots to No. 7 in the world.

"You knew that was coming, their talent," Woods said last month. "That was just a matter of time before they broke through and won events. To see the young guys playing better only is going to make it ... more difficult to win events."

The question is whether their time is now.

Kim and Villegas, two players who emerged during Woods' absence, will be paired together in the second-to-last group when the 2009 season gets under way today at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, a winners-only field of 33 players missing the top four from the world ranking.

"I've been looking forward to this tournament for a long time," said the 23-year-old Kim. "I feel like I've come a long way with my game and my attitude. And hopefully, if I can just stay on this roll."

SINGH HURTING: Vijay Singh injured his right knee during his victory at the Chevron World Challenge, and he will have surgery after the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Singh said he has a slight tear of the meniscus, and he hopes to return in time for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Feb. 12.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT