Youngster Kim showcases veteran savvy

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida - Kim Si-woo made Sunday at The Players Championship look like child's play.

From a tough lie behind the green, in a bunker with not much room between him and the pin, or even standing on the 17th tee and staring at an island, the 21-year-old South Korean never flinched and never made worse than par.

Kim kept a clean card to the end for a 3-under 69 to become the youngest champion in the 44-year history of the biggest tournament outside the majors.

"I feel like I'm still dreaming that I won this championship," Kim said after his three-stroke victory.

On a windy afternoon at TPC Sawgrass, where anything can go wrong without notice, Kim was the only player to go bogey-free in the final round that derailed everyone else in hopeless pursuit.

His last hurdle was getting by the final two holes where not even his two-shot lead was safe - the island green at the par-3 17th and a closing hole with water all the way down the left side.

"I wasn't nervous at all because I was leading," he said. "I just focused on the middle of the green."

He landed safely and two-putted from 45 feet, and then he smashed another drive down the middle of the 18th fairway.

The only drama at the end came from Ian Poulter, who was happy just to be there.

Two weeks ago, Poulter thought he had lost his PGA Tour card until officials realized a clerical oversight that restored his status and even gave him a spot in The Players Championship.

Poulter was the only player to seriously challenge Kim until he ran out of holes, and then it was a matter of finishing second.

Poulter shanked his second shot from the right rough on the 18th, and it bounced off hospitality tents, down a cart path and into a palmetto bush. He took a penalty drop, then hit a wedge over the trees and nearly holed it, tapping in for bogey.

He closed with a 71 and tied for second with Louis Oosthuizen, who shot 73.

"It was a big shock to the system to hit one of those nasty shanks when I was hitting as good as I was all week," Poulter said. "But the fourth shot was pretty special - from one of the worst shots I've ever hit to one of the very best."

His bogey on the 18th was only the second for Poulter over the final 46 holes of the tournament.

As tough as the Players Stadium Course played, his best chance was waiting for Kim to make a mistake - but Kim never did.

"As good as he played yesterday, he's obviously gone out there today and played even better," Poulter said.

"He's gone clean out there today, which is extremely impressive under that pressure. You have to respect good golf, and that's exactly what he's done."

Oosthuizen, who fell out of the lead for good with a fairway bunker shot into the water for double bogey on No 4, watched it all day playing alongside Kim.

Kim said he wasn't nervous because of his victory last year in the Wyndham Championship, which gave him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

This victory comes with perks beyond the $1.89 million first prize. He gets a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, and a three-year exemption to the Masters.

Just over four years ago, Kim came over to America to play the final round of the PGA Tour's qualifying school.

He earned a card at age 17, but could not become a PGA Tour member until he turned 18 the following June. That card effectively went to waste, and Kim spent the next two years on the developmental tour until earning his card back to the big league.

Associated Press