Anthony Kim is so keen to play for the United States in October`s Ryder Cup that he replied almost immediately to a recent text message from captain Corey Pavin inquiring about his fitness.
|Last Updated: May 20, 2010, 01:08 PM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Anthony Kim is so keen to play for the United States in October`s Ryder Cup that he replied almost immediately to a recent text message from captain Corey Pavin inquiring about his fitness.
Kim, who is second on the US points standings behind Phil Mickelson, withdrew from the Players Championship two weeks ago to undergo surgery on a badly injured left thumb.
"I texted him and asked him to let me know what`s going on with the thumb and keep me current," Pavin told reporters on Wednesday on the eve of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
"I guess he took me literally because he called me about an hour after his surgery and we talked for a little while. I just want him to get better and I told him I was glad he made a bunch of points before he went in for surgery.”
"He said that was his plan, to play as good as he could and try to get up there so that he could take that time off and come back and be ready to play.”
"I think it`s a good plan, but he has to come back and I`ll have to assess how he`s playing, and he has to assess how he`s playing as well.”
"I`ll see how his thumb is doing and how his rehabilitation is coming along, but he could be a very important part of the team.”
"He`s a very prototypical Ryder Cup-type player. He loves to compete, he loves the one-on-one competition, he likes match play, head-to-head, whatever you want to call it. He loves that atmosphere. That`s the type of guy you want to have on the Ryder Cup team."Kim, who turns 25 in exactly one month, is expected to miss next month`s US Open and also the British Open in July, but should recover in time for the Ryder Cup.
He made a successful Ryder Cup debut two years ago, posting two wins, one halve and one loss in his four matches as the Americans beat Europe for the first time since 1999.
On a more general Ryder Cup note, Pavin said he expected the Celtic Manor course in Wales to be set up for accuracy rather than power.
"It`s going to be set up more US Open-ish," he continued. "I think the rough is going to be long and thick. It`s going to be very important to drive the ball straight there. I don`t think length is going to be a huge factor.”"The golf course is more of a tactical course, I would say, than a course you can overpower. But as captain I want to have a good mix of players on my team. I want to be able to mix and match guys together. The eight guys that make the team are going to impact my four picks."
Pavin was speaking at the Four Seasons TPC, where he will be part of a 156-man field playing for a USD 6.5 million purse.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.