The Furious Charge of Anthony Kim

On Sunday morning, a couple of players that were light years behind the lead went out and lit up Augusta National.  Miguel Angel Jimenez went off the first tee at +3 and finished at -3.  Nick Watney went out in the middle pairings and shot 65 to catapult himself into solo seventh by shooting the then round of the tournament.

Anthony Kim came to the first tee at -5 and a full seven shots out of the lead of Lee Westwood.  Since it was clear that no player would come backward to allow Kim to win, he knew he would have to make a run on his own.  For the first twelve holes, Kim was admirably two under par, but well back of the lead. 

Then he made good on a birdie at 13.  A great approach and a birdie on 14 followed.  Kim drained a downhill slider on 15 and gave a violent fist pump in celebration of his eagle.  He sank the infamous Sunday birdie putt on 16 from fifteen feet below the hole.  Much like Phil Mickelson, Kim played a four hole stretch in -5.  Unfortunately for Kim, not only did he not make two eagles in that stretch but Mickelson was in charge of the tournament at that point.  Clearly aware that he was running out of holes, he parred each of the last two to finish solo third.

Had Kim been able to make up more ground on the front nine, perhaps Kim finishes solo second.  It seemed, though, that he had really little to no chance of catching Mickelson once Lefty made his birdie putt on 12.  That was the death knell for the championship hopes of everyone else.

Kim, though, said he was happy for Mickelson to win. "Phil's been great to me ever since I've been out here and I've gotten to know Amy as well."

Despite losing, Kim felt encouraged that he could one day win at Augusta National.

"[E]ven without my best stuff I hung in there and I made some putts, I made some things happen, and that I feel like if I get the ball in the fairway this is a great golf course for me"