Kim blasts the birdies
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All Anthony Kim needed was one round under his silver waffle-sized belt buckle to feel at home at Augusta National Golf Club.
The 23-year-old Masters Tournament rookie notched a record 11 birdies Friday en route to 7-under-par 65, putting himself into contention at the halfway point. At 4-under-par, he trails co-leaders Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry by five shots.
Kim broke Nick Price's record of most birdies in a round (10) set in 1986.
"I haven't been making 11 birdies in two days; so to make 11 in one day is pretty special," Kim said. "And obviously to do it at Augusta is amazing. Hopefully I can build off that and if I keep the putter hot, I like my chances here."
In windy conditions. Kim posted the low score of the day despite two front-nine bogeys and a double at the par-4 10th hole.
"It feels like a 58 right now," he said. "I just tried to stay steady. ... The first goal is to make the cut, and then make a run on Saturday and Sunday."
After a first-round 75 when he hit just six greens, Kim found 14 in the second round. He then rode a hot putter, needing just 25 putts to get around.
"The putts kept falling," Kim said, "so I just kept walking them in and going to the next hole."
With his slow start, Kim said he felt a sense of urgency. When he teed off, he was 14 shots behind Campbell, four off the cut line.
"I knew I had to get off to a good start, and with the wind picking up, I didn't know what the score would be," Kim said. "I knew I needed to get to at least even-par, or maybe 1under, to make the cut. Once I got there, I started moving along."
After a bogey at the fourth hole dropped him to 1-under on the round, Kim got on a roll. He dropped a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 5. Kim followed with a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-3 sixth. The next hole, he hit a 9-iron to three feet for birdie. Kim then rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 8. Four holes, four birdies.
After a bogey-double bogey hiccup that could've derailed lesser players, Kim never wavered. After all, he won twice on the PGA Tour last year. And he went 3-0-1 to help the U.S. team reclaim the Ryder Cup last fall.
The No. 14 player in the world regrouped and birdied the last two legs of Amen Corner. He followed with a pitching wedge to eight inches for a kick-in birdie at No. 14. Kim then two-putted for birdie at the par-5 15th.
The Dallas resident capped his day with a 12-foot birdie at the last. For the two nines, he shot 32-33. That's not exactly Masters rookie stuff. That's a score for a guy with a belt buckle the size of Texas.
Now the question is: what does Kim do today for an encore?
"I have to worry about staying on track," he said, "making some birdies and keeping the ball in the fairway."
He's already proven he can do just that.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
| 2nd Round | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Rnd | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 32 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 65 |
| Tot | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -4 | -4 | -4 |
| 1st Round | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Rnd | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 37 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 38 | 75 |
| Tot | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
