Anthony Kim walking all over Reavie's line on 18 green?

[greenpiece]

I was watching the last few holes of the Canadian Open today, and I noticed something interesting on the 18th green. Chez Reavie was on the green with three putts to win. And Anthony Kim was on the green with about a ten foot putt to finish out with no chance at winning the tournament. Kim's ball was directly on Reavie's line to the hole. It looked to me on TV that Kim was walking all over Reavie's line, even kneeling down directly behind his ball (on Reavie's line) to read his putt. For a moment I thought I was seeing things because I wasn't sure that the silver dot on the green was Reavie's marker. But when Chez put his ball down to putt, the silver dot I had seen was definitely his marker. And even when Kim walked over to tap in his very last putt, he was walking all over Reavie's line again. It looked like Kim made no effort at all to stand out of the way.

 

Did anyone see this? Is this normal procedure when the potential winner has several strokes in hand for the victory? It didn't seem to bother Reavie at all though.

[GaijinGolfer]

I didnt see that and Id hate to think that a pro golfer would do something like that.

[drew123]

didn't see it but Chez might have said don't worry about because he had three putts and the Kim's putt was probably worth some serious cash although not the win. don't know just speculating.

[PreppySlapCut]

I don't know how big a deal it is. At that point, every putt Kim takes is important. Reavie can safely 3 jack for the win. I'm sure Reavie would have said something if he was pissed (although his ego is about 1/100th the size of AK's).

[wwhitehead]

1. I'm sure Kim asked before doing that. Of course Reavie consented. He had nothing to lose....three putts and he still banks a win.

2. Reavie made his putt, so it made no difference anyway.

 

WW

[tbowles411]

Much ado about nothing....

[Pars Win!]

It is a professional courtesy to let the winner of the tournament have the last putt. I'm sure Chez said it was fine as he wanted to have the last putt. If Chez had putted first and made the birdie then you have Anthony Kim sitting there to finish. Takes the laimelight away from Chez.

[bulldog8b]

I noticed the same thing and I was wondering about it as well. I figured that AK must have asked and CR had to have said do what you gotta do. Like others have said, CR had 3 putts to win and footprints aren't going to make THAT big a difference. I'm sure he would rather putt through some footprints and be able to putt out alone.

[CowtownTexas]

Personally, when someone is wearing soft spikes, I tell them to walk all over my line. I don't think AK wears spikes, but it sure didn't seem to make a difference.

 

If anything, AK was too courteous in my opinion. He seemed to be rushing to get out of the way and was the first to walk up with a big smile on his face and shake Chez's hand. Looked like a guy who just didn't want to steal another guys spotlight during his first win. Taking a bit more time on that chip might have been worth a couple hundred grand for AK.

 

Congrats to Chez. He hung tough against some stiff competition and got a big win.

[GaijinGolfer]

Taking a bit more time on that chip might have been worth a couple hundred grand for AK.

Sinking a few more of those 15' putts wouldnt have hurt either. You gotta give AK credit for giving it his best shot, but it just wasnt his day.

[Giantbear]

So Kim walked in Chez's line and Chez was still able to make the putt and win the tourny????? Maybe this will help golfers to realize that, when players are wearing softspikes, walking in your line will not really effect your putt as the ground does bounce back pretty quickly. With the amount of time that passes between when a player walks the line and you actually putt, the ground, unless the green is soaked, does not hold the foot indentation. It is still proper etiquite to avoid a players line, but it is also not the end of the world if a player does walk your line. If it happens, instead of yelling and screaming or letting it ruin your round, take an extra minute to allow the ground to bounce and then putt with confidence.

[Skydiver22]

Chezzie grew up playing our local muni a few block away (Dobson Ranch) . Whenever he comes around he is still one of the guys, he will never be an ego maniac like some of these other guys... I am sure he could not care less about walking in his line. He was focused on draining that putt and winning with style. Hoorah for Dobson Ranch, Dobson High, Mesa Comm C. and ASU. our local boy did it.

[Chilidog]

I noticed the same thing...except, I noticed it when he went to tap his ball in. He literally walked right into the path that Chez's ball was going to be putted on, just to tape his ball in. I don't care if he asked or not...after you missed the putt, you walk around the other side of the cup to tap your ball in. I thought it was pretty classless when I saw it. If he asked, that is ok, but still...on the tap in, walk the other direction around the cup. I am happy Chez made the putt and it didn't matter.

[SDGolfing]

I don't know how big a deal it is. At that point, every putt Kim takes is important. Reavie can safely 3 jack for the win. I'm sure Reavie would have said something if he was pissed (although his ego is about 1/100th the size of AK's).

 

 

What evidence do you have in the last year of Anthony Kim being egotistical? When are people going to get over this? He is a kid for gods sake. He was arrogant, he was cocky and yes he was egotistical growing up and through college...ummm who isnt. I hate to tell you but confidence is what makes you in this game and I have seen nothing but a class act this year on tour. I heard him say constantly today "good shot" to his competitor etc.

 

You may not like the belt buckle but I would rather see that on a golfer versus 231523432593209834324 tattoos like an NFL player or an NBAyer.

[bp66]

Is there any reason to call this young man classless??? I have seen him a few times in person and he was a great ambasador for the game. Very polite and great with fans, espesially kids! I have seen a lot of other pros who have good reputations who are much less polite. I dont see any reason to try to make negative comment about this guy.

[tuna12]

I noticed the same thing. Looked to me like he was walking all over Chez's line. Wether he asked or not it could have been done more gracefully.

[cbassgolf]

I saw this incident as well, and it never appeared to me that he was in his line. His first putt was to the left of Chez's line and after he missed he stepped over his line for the tap in. Camera angle may have made it look like he was all over his line, but i assure you stone thrower's that he was not!

[mshills]

I don't know how big a deal it is. At that point, every putt Kim takes is important. Reavie can safely 3 jack for the win. I'm sure Reavie would have said something if he was pissed (although his ego is about 1/100th the size of AK's).

 

 

Hmmm. What basis do you have for making this statement about AK's supposed "ego?"

 

Is there a line of demarkation between "confidence" and "ego," particularly amongst professional golfers playing at the highest level? Do you think that Anthony Kim should NOT feel like he could and should win?

 

A professional golfer who does not feel like he is the best of the field teeing it up that week is sunk and will never make it. At that high of a level of play, self-belief and self-confidence is as important as swing mechanics and is most definitely NOT "ego."

 

Anthony Kim is a competitive, exciting young player and I am glad to see a young guy stepping up, even though yesterday was not his day.

[JIMMY0196]

The last guy is correct. The first putt was definitely to the left of Chez's putt and the other was probably camera angle. I dont know of a pro who would not go out of his way to not stand in someone's line. Chez's putt broke a little to the left and if you can tell me that you could tell that AK stepped in his line, roughly a 4 1/4" spot, then you are crazy. It might have looked that way, but I would bet that is not what happened.

[mrb]

I wonder if Chez was asked....and if his answer would have been different if he was playing with Herron or Calcavecchia...

[Jpatter]

I happened to be there on Sunday and as others have mentioned that I think it was probably the angle.

 

I did notice too that on 18, Anthony held back in the fairway for probably 60-90 seconds (which can seem like a long time) while Reavie made the walk from his lay up to the green, and the impression all week was that Anthony was pretty classy.

 

I even read on a local Toronto Golf site about a guy seeing Anthony and his girlfriend at a local Subway sandwich getting a quick bite. They said he was really nice toe everyone there and the patrons. My feeling is if they are nice to teh guy making your sub then you are probably a pretty good guy.

 

Cheers,

[charlesdupuy]

I thought that I saw the same thing but figured it was probably the TV camera messing with depth perception, I think that with the first putt that was obviously worth a fair amount of money Chez is right to let Kim walk on his line if he really needs to and wants to putt last himself. With the tap in however Kim should have walked around Chez's marker, it wasn't that far a walk and with a slightly breaking putt it can be easy to not take a big enough step over the line. Anyway Chez did well and sunk his and didn't seem to have a problem so it's not really worth making too big an issue about what they may or may not have agreed about walking on the line, these guys are very professional and are also good at picking each other up on etiquette too.

 

One thing to clarify on the rules front, would I be right in thinking that if Kim left a spike mark on Chez's line Chez could ask him to repair it, or Kim could repair it if he noticed himself? I'm aware that players can't repair spike marks if they are on their line when they arrive at the green, remember when Ernie had about a 4 footer to get into a playoff in Singapore about 5 years ago and missed because he had a spike mark on his line that he wasn't allowed to repair?

[SUBPARJ]

AK classless , NO WAY! He let the winner putt out last (out of turn). He hit alot of less than stellar shots coming down the stretch and didn't act like a jerk about it. He's a stud and its been said a couple times already, these guys all think they can win and confindence is something more golfers wish they had on the course.

 

Back to the original topic, im sure he asked if he could walk in his line. He did the right thing letting Chez putt out last , but his putt was still worth a lot of money.

[oo1oo]

AK classless , NO WAY! He let the winner putt out last (out of turn). He hit alot of less than stellar shots coming down the stretch and didn't act like a jerk about it. He's a stud and its been said a couple times already, these guys all think they can win and confindence is something more golfers wish they had on the course.

 

Back to the original topic, im sure he asked if he could walk in his line. He did the right thing letting Chez putt out last , but his putt was still worth a lot of money.

:rolleyes: i love it, great post. Seriously though, use a little more common sense guys. AK did nothing wrong considering his and Reavie's situation.

[jamesduncan]

id imagine they would have discussed it and worked everything out.

 

man, AK gave it his all but it just didnt work out. great player and really glad he came up here to our national open after what must have been an exhausting week in the UK.

 

about AKs supposed ego.

 

wow..how the heck do you come to that assumption? i think its easy to think we know what a person is like when all we see is what happens in the golf media.

 

i was in this subway sub around the corner from the gates on the tues practice rounds when they got rained out. the women behind the counter knew jack about golf but later AK walked in and ordered a sub! he seemed really down to earth and was answering the ladies questions and generally just seemed like a really nice kid.

 

obviously hes very motived but i think hes done a lot to tone down some of his comments..still, must be hard when youre so young and very talented.

 

and im not trying to say i know him either! lol

[osubass1]

i graduated from Oklahoma State. i am a die hard sooner hater.

 

a couple weeks ago they zoomed on the back of Kim's putter and it said "Boomer Sooner".

 

but i'm sorry, after the encounter i had with him at the PGA Championship last year, even i cannot claim him to be classless.

 

he's a very nice guy, and even gave us a bit of a ribbing for my friend's Oklahoma State hat.

[Gungagalunga]

What do you expect from a guy that "pops his collar" on the course...

[mhj202]

I saw this incident as well, and it never appeared to me that he was in his line. His first putt was to the left of Chez's line and after he missed he stepped over his line for the tap in. Camera angle may have made it look like he was all over his line, but i assure you stone thrower's that he was not!

 

Completely agree. At first I was thinking that he might be in Chez's line but then looked more carefully and saw that he was definitely to the left of his line. Clearly his was finishing out to let Chez have his moment.

[trek1500]

I didn't see it but it's hard for me to imagine AK deliberately walking in someone's line unless he was given the ok to do so by Chez.

 

AK is a fine champion evidenced by his 2 fantastic wins on tour this year! I'm disappointed in some of the negative comments I have

read on this thread about AK.

 

As one post said, "Much ado about nothing...."