New comfort zone agrees with Kim

Anthony Kim's playoff victory over Vaughn Taylor in the Shell Houston Open yesterday might have signaled a turning point in his young PGA Tour career.

Despite hitting just 23 fairways through four rounds at Redstone, bogeying the 72nd hole to open the door for a playoff against Taylor and playing with a bum thumb, Kim won a one-hole playoff by staying calm under pressure. On an entertainment scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would toss the tournament 3 1/2 dog biscuits.

Standing on the 18th tee on the 72nd hole, Kim had a two-shot lead and appeared to be on the verge of cruising to his third PGA Tour victory. Even after he hit his drive on the par 4 into a bunker, he felt secure because he didn't expect Taylor, playing in the group in front of him, to birdie a final hole that was playing extremely difficult. But that's exactly what Taylor did when he sank a clutch 18-foot putt to pull within one.

Then Kim hit his second shot on the water-lined 18th into a greenside bunker, hit his third shot 6 feet from the cup and missed the putt. So Kim, a 24-year-old with a penchant for big belt buckles, had every reason to be upset as he entered the playoff tied with Taylor at 12-under 276. But he maintained his cool, parred the first playoff hole and prevailed for his first victory since the 2008 AT&T National.

"Two years ago that bag may have been in the water," he said, laughing about his missed par putt on the 72nd hole. "I might not have had clubs to go to the playoff. I feel calm out there. I feel no sense of urgency. It's something that has happened naturally and not something that's been forced.

"So I'm comfortable with how I'm playing and comfortable with who I am out there. I found my identity. I'm an aggressive player. There's no reason to be somebody else and fire at the middle of the green every time. I think I'm starting to learn that."

Only three players have hit fewer fairways since 1983 and won a PGA Tour event -- Tom Sieckmann hit 19 at the 1988 Michelob Championship, Greg Twiggs hit 21 at the 1989 Farmers Insurance and Tiger Woods found just 22 fairways at the 2005 CA Championship. But wild tee shots didn't seem to faze Kim.

"I've put in a lot of hard work, so I feel like when I'm out there, I know I'm going to do well," he said. "Having that confidence really has propelled my game, I feel like, to a different level."

Kim's ability to win with a left thumb that will need surgery following the Masters is just as impressive as his newfound mental toughness. He'll enter next week's Masters riding four straight top-25 finishes. Not bad for someone who finished 39th on the money list in 2009 after reaching No. 6 in 2008.

After winning twice in 2008, he got frustrated in 2009 when a thumb and shoulder injury slowed him and he came up short three times -- a second and two thirds. After the season, he admitted he was complaining about everything. But he played through the thumb injury yesterday and showed a new level of maturity when confronted by adversity.

"I feel like I'm grown up," he said. "I'm trying to enjoy everything. Trying to embrace being a professional golfer and being on the PGA Tour and just getting to live my dream out here, and there's no reason to pout about a bad shot or a three-putt because it's going to happen, especially the way the economy is right now and a lots of people struggling. I don't want to kick sand in their face by having a bad attitude out here."

Taylor, who played the playoff hole the way Kim did the first time around, finished with a 68. He needed a victory to qualify for the Masters next week in his hometown of Augusta, Ga., and couldn't hide his disappointment after the playoff, saying: "It's a tough pill to swallow."

Information from the Associated Press and PGATOUR.com contributed to this post.