By ALEX MICELI
Golfweek ContributorAnthony Kim arrived in New Zealand this week for the Kiwi Challenge barely able to walk or hit a golf shot. Kim hyperextended his right ankle almost two weeks earlier at a friend’s house in Dallas while walking down the stairs, and in the process tweaked his knee.
Thinking the injury was only a sprained ankle, Kim didn’t go to a doctor until five days later. The doctor’s advice was for Kim to stay off the leg until he felt comfortable walking on it; Kim decided to ignore the doctor’s advice.
“I made a commitment to this tournament a couple months ago just didn’t feel like I could do that,” Kim said about the possibility of withdrawing from the Kiwi Challenge. “I felt like I was able to swing and it was a 36-hole deal, so I wanted to give it a go, see how I was feeling for HSBC, which I’m committed to next week.”
After his doctor visit in Dallas, Kim returned to Los Angeles where he received treatment every two hours in his home from a therapist. While Kim didn’t know exactly what the treatment consisted of – it had something to do with increasing the blood flow to the ankle – it seemed to work. Kim was walking around six days later.
His ankle swelled up, however, after only nine holes of his first practice round at Kauri Cliffs, and Kim struggled in the first round of the Kiwi Challenge.
“I haven’t hit one snap hook in a round and I hit like eight of them today,” Kim said of his performance in the first round. “I actually feel a little bit worse than I thought I would feel. I kind of got the blood going and it was a little bit better and then just started stiffening up on me a little bit and torqueing on that left knee doesn’t feel that good either.”
Kim made it through the second and final day of the Challenge, losing in a playoff to Hunter Mahan, but he was less sure if he would make the trip to China next week for the HSBC. Kim also plans on playing at the NedBank Challenge in South Africa and Tiger’s event in the middle of December before making the trip to Hawaii.
“I’ve got to see how I feel,” Kim said after his playoff loss. “I’ve got to get it taken care of. So I’ll just see how I feel the next couple days and I mean if I keep it elevated it doesn’t hurt as bad. So I’ve just got to do whatever I can to fix it.”
• • •
FAST START FOR SCOTT: Adam Scott was the last to arrive in New Zealand and eventually finished last in the Kiwi Challenge. It was hopefully not an omen for the young Australian, whose 2009 season began at the two-round event before stops at the HSBC in China and Singapore, then Down Under for the Australian Open and PGA. After that, it’s Mercedes and possibly the Sony Open and then Qatar Masters, where he is defending champion.
“It is a busy time of year for me,” Scott said. “It always has been. Asia, Australia and then getting back to Mercedes, got to play there, and I’ll get another good break before it kicks back off and gets over to the East coast and lead up to Augusta.”
Scott’s poor finish in New Zealand had more to do with his flat stick than anything else, as the 27-year-old could not make anything over the two days.
It was a bit astonishing to Scott since he putted so well at the end of the season after switching to a Scotty Cameron putter at the PGA Championship.
“It’s pretty clear, six weeks of doing no short game practice at all has showed up,” Scott said. “I need to go back and work on my chipping and putting and hopefully I don’t think it’s a technical thing with putting.”
Another anomaly was the fact that Scott hits the ball so well tee-to-green. During both the FedEx Cup playoffs and at home in Australia, Scott struggled with ballstriking, even joking that his mates were taking money off of him in Australia.
But during the Kiwi Challenge, Scott routinely drove 20 to 30 yards past his three competitors, but could never convert the putts.
“I was pleased and probably pleasantly surprised with how I hit the ball,” Scott said. “I’ve been trying to loosen up, so I was really happy with that.”
Scott believes his putting woes were directly related to alignment, so his plan will be to go back the Cameron putter that he abandoned at the PGA, which has an aiming line on top.
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MEDIA-SAVVY STEVIE: Steve Williams may be the highest profile caddie on the PGA Tour. Mainly, because Williams caddies for World No. 1 Tiger Woods.
Williams has not caddied for Woods since the U.S. Open and while he likely doesn’t need the money, he agreed to act as one of the analysts on the broadcast of the Kiwi Challenge to air on NBC Nov. 15-16.
With no formal training, Williams, according to his NBC colleagues, did a good job and offered creative insights.
Williams, on the other hand, gained some valuable insight.
“It’s not as easy as you think,” Williams said. “I have a whole new respect for the guys that do the commentary, so it was great fun.”
Williams did not indicate when he would be back on the bag with Woods, but the remainder of his 2008 is booked with motor racing.
Posted: 10/31/2008
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