Women’s Open Champ Aspires Not To Be A One-Shot Wonder

By David Shefter, USGA

Newport, R.I. – Nearly 11 months removed from registering one of the most dramatic victories in U.S. Women’s Open history, Birdie Kim was asked how many times she’s looked at television replays of the bunker shot heard around Cherry Hills Country Club.

“Maybe two,” said the incredulous Korean before an assembled audience of reporters, and USGA and club officials at the May 15 media day for the 2006 Women’s Open at historic Newport Country Club.

Nearly fully engulfed by the bunker, Birdie Kim has one eye on her magical shot last year. (John Mummert/USGA)

A stunning response considering how that shot echoed through the golf community last June outside of Denver. The 24-year-old Kim, competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open, delivered a shocking blow when she holed out from a greenside bunker at the 72nd hole for a decisive birdie that gave her a two-stroke victory. It also denied 17-year-old amateur Morgan Pressel a chance to become the youngest major-championship winner. Pressel and 19-year-old amateur Brittany Lang would tie for second.

The final-hole theatrics provided great drama, from Kim’s look of wonderment after holing the shot to the utter public display of emotional distress from Pressel in the fairway as she watched the miracle unfold. At the time, Pressel shared the lead with Kim. But when her chip shot for birdie rolled 15 feet past the flag, Kim had the championship.

Television played the moment repeatedly, and it arguably was one of the greatest shots in Women’s Open history. Yet Kim has chosen not to dwell too much on it, even though that shot so far has defined her career. The championship certainly changed her life – and bank account – substantially.

But the post-Women’s Open results have not been too satisfactory. Instead of feeding off the momentum, Kim has struggled to regain her form from those wonderful four days at Cherry Hills C.C., creating speculation that she might be a one-hit wonder.

Consider this: 75 percent of her career earnings (she became an LPGA Tour member in 2004) of $750,856 have come from her Open title ($560,000). In her 13 events of 2005 following the Women’s Open, Kim posted zero top-10s. And 2006 hasn’t been all that kind, either, with four missed cuts in seven events. Her best showing came at the Safeway International in Phoenix, where she tied for 19th.

Perhaps the results are a product of ongoing swing changes Kim is making with her coach, 79-year-old Bob Toski.

“I’m trying to tighten it up,” said Kim through interpreter Kyumin Shim, the LPGA’s liaison to Korean players and their families. Shim attended media day to help translate for Kim, whose English has improved greatly since last summer. “When I get nervous, I lose my tempo. That’s what I’m working on.”

Toski, a Hall of Fame instructor, first worked with Kim when she came to the U.S. in 2001 following a stellar junior career in Korea (19 victories). Kim was just another in a long list of young, up-and-coming talents emanating from the Asian country. Compatriot Se Ri Pak’s helped put Korea on the map after a breakthrough season in 1998 when she won the Women’s Open and LPGA Championship to become one of the world’s best players.

I'm number ... two. An emotional final hole last year left Morgan Pressel settling for a share of second. (John Mummert/USGA)

Kim found Toski in Florida through a mutual Korean friend and the two instantly clicked. But Kim’s overbearing father (Yong Jin) and the loquacious Toski, whose pupils over the years have included champions Tom Kite and Judy Rankin among others, didn’t see eye to eye. So Yong Jin took his daughter to the David Leadbetter Academy, where Leadbetter suggested that she change her given first name (Ju-Yun) because of the plethora of Kims on the professional circuits. They decided on “Birdie” because she was told she needed to make more of them.

Kim was coming off two solid seasons on the Futures Tour, where she finished 13th on the money list in 2002 and fourth in 2003 to earn exempt status on the LPGA Tour. But a cultural clash between Toski and Kim’s father resulted in a change of instructors, and could have led to her disastrous ’04 LPGA Tour campaign, where she missed 17 consecutive cuts and earned a paltry $9,897. Kim now says it was a mistake to leave Toski. But she got a break that summer when her mom became pregnant and delivered the family’s first son. Yong Jin went back to Korea and Kim returned to her mentor and confidant.

With Toski back in her corner, Kim successfully made it through LPGA Tour qualifying and earned her way to Cherry Hills Country Club as just another contestant in a crowded field of hopefuls. Most of the headlines focused on Annika Sorenstam going for a possible Grand Slam, and young stars Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Pressel.

Kim’s ability to grind out pars on a difficult layout kept her in the hunt through 54 holes, where she was playing in the penultimate pairing with the wunderkind Wie. While Wie ballooned to a final-round 82, Kim plugged along. Through 13 holes, she owned a two-stroke lead over Pressel, but bogeys at 14 and 15 created another deadlock, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

Kim blocked her 7-wood approach to the difficult uphill par 4, which had not yielded a single birdie the entire round, into the greenside bunker. When she blasted out, the ball appeared to be racing well past the flagstick, but it struck it squarely in the center and disappeared for an improbable birdie.

The five-year exemption for winning the Open along with lucrative endorsement contracts certainly were nice bonuses for Kim. She recently purchased a townhouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which she shares with her 21-year-old sister, Hyun-Hee Kim. Around her adopted home base in south Florida she is now more recognizable to the public.

“People say hi to me at the gas station,” said Kim, smiling.

She also still has Toski, whom she gave the Women’s Open trophy to after the victory. The two continue to work hard the hope of creating positive results starting with defending her title at Newport C.C. June 29-July2.

“I worry because she’s got more coming at her than ever,” Toski told Golf Digest. “I want to advise her, but you’ve got to handle her delicately. I just don’t want her to be the latest one-shot wonder Open winner.”

David Shefter is a staff writer for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.