Always gracious in defeat, Robert Allenby attacked the character of Anthony Kim following his massive 5 and 3 defeat to Kim Sunday at the Presidents Cup.Via: Golfweek
"Allenby said friends here witnessed Kim getting back to the team hotel, in Allenby’s words, “sideways” at 4 in the morning, less than five hours before his scheduled tee time against Allenby at Harding Park."
“Maybe we should all take the theory of Anthony Kim,” Allenby said. “Get home at 4 o’clock (in the morning) and then go shoot 6 under."
“Maybe we should all take the theory of Anthony Kim,” Allenby said. “Get home at 4 o’clock (in the morning) and then go shoot 6 under."
Allenby, who is 38, has four PGA Tour Victories, compared to Anthony Kim, age 24, who has two career victories, both coming in 2008. While Anthony is currently ranked 23rd in the official World Golf Rankings, to Allenby's 33rd place position, Allenby was a top 10 player in a brief period in the early 2000s; Kim's high career ranking is 14tth.
Unfortunately, Allenby often does not get the credit for his game that he deserves. His abilities are clearly limited and his game is tailored for a specific type of golf; his lower ball flight, steeper angles, and volatile temper clearly make him a hard, fast golf course player where birdies are often. Kim, on the hand, is more rounded (literally in his golf swing and in his game) and has more potential, seemingly, than Allenby ever had.
In college, Anthony was. . .well, known to enjoy himself, particularly because others did not really enjoy him. He was notoriously conceded, his demeanor was often brash and flashy, and his fellow competitors didn't really like him -- but that's potentially as much due to the fact that he beat them so often.
Anthony behaves like a kid who has always been talented, who has repeatedly won in his career. He walks with less restraint than his peers, he acknowledges the crowds, he continues to treat golf as a game. I'm not saying he doesn't work as absolutely hard as his peers, but he seems to be as concerned with maintaining his enjoyment for it as anything else.
However, all of that is inconsequential to the statements at hand. While it's difficult to discern fact from fiction -- I would not be surprised to hear that Anthony had been out the night before, Allenby's discourse are unprofessional and un-PGA Tour like. I was disappointed to see this story get so much coverage; I even saw it in a segment on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption.
But, keeping with typical Anthony, he responded to Allenby by saying:
“If Robert had that to say,” Kim said, “he may need to go practice a little bit more.”
2 comments:
Tony Kim is a kid. He plays the game like the rest of us - hungover. So what? Allenby and his claw grip can eat 90 dick sandwiches.
Also, did AK not look super skinny? In the words of Nick Faldo, "I've seen more meat on a butcher's apron."
Remember, the transformation from a college age beer drinker to a PGA Tour whiskey drinker can affect the wasteline. . .Though, I've noticed the AK's belt buckle is yet to accomodate
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