Anthony Kim on Congressional

[Cliff Hamm]

I was just watching an interview at Bethpage with Kim and was astounded by his lack of knowledge.  He was asked if his victory at Congressional gives him added confidence knowing that he has won on a US Open course.  He responded, "I didn't even know the Open was held at Congressional".  The reporter than also told him it would also be at Congressional in the future. 

I am often amazed by the ignorance of a given sports history exhibited by the professional athlete.  This one I found absolutely amazing.  How can you have won a championship and in the week you spent there never heard, read, realized it had held the Open?

[Joe Bausch]

For some reason after reading this first post I could hear Dean Wormer in my ear!

[PCCraig]

Most pros don't care. It's their job and never a hobby.

[Brent Hutto]

Anthony Kim was probably out obliterating the field at some AJGA event the week Els won at Congressional. Better things to do with his time than watch golf on TV.

[JLahrman]

Most pros don't care. It's their job and never a hobby.

I agree.  Some of the players find it interesting but with the endless practice that you have to devote yourself to in order to reach the PGA Tour, I'm not surprised that many players are ignorant about golf history or a lot of other things that us couch potatoes find elementary.  Plus Kim is only 23 or so.

[Paul Jones]

I once asked a PGA Tour player which course he liked the best and his answer was "Anyone I make money on."

[Tom Birkert]

Last year Kim was asked a question about Tiger's record and the number of Majors he had won. Mr Kim thought he had won 8.

[Pat Burke]

In some ways, the tour's success has helped create some of this type of ignorance.
The creation of the senior tour, has for the most part, eliminated the opportunity for young players to meet or learn something from,
the guys who paved their way.  Before the senior tour, players would play as long as their exemptions held out.  Some of those
same guys took the time to be mentors for the young players.  Some of the "rain delay" moments (or anything that created some locker room conversation) would lead to stories about Venturi's day at Congo and the like.

I always thought it would be cool to have a silly season event with 1 under 30 player, 1 30-40, 1 40-50, 1 50-55 and 1 55+ player.

Play a scramble for two days on a classic course and let the vets just sit and talk

[tlavin]

He's a kid.  He doesn't yet have the interest in knowing the history of the game or many of the traditions.  Remember, the Tour had to sit him down and ask him to stop bringing strippers out to events.  He'll grow up.  He may never give a hoot about architecture, but I'm guessing he'll figure out what the great traditional courses are.

[Dan Boerger]

I once attended a corporate event that went pretty late into the evening. Fuzzy Zoeller was at the bar, which had thinned out considerably. He told me directly that it wasn't always easy making a living "chasing the little white ball". He, obviously, did well at it and is (IMO) a fine ambassador for the game, but I can certainly imagine the thousands who don't make it not giving a whit about golf course architecture.

[Phil McDade]

Most pros don't care. It's their job and never a hobby.

A story I once heard about Scott Hoch --

Hoch was on the driving range, waiting for his tee time, and found himself next to an eager rookie. The kid turned to Hoch and said: "I just can't wait to get out there and play."

Hoch replied: "You actually enjoy this game?"

[Nick Church]

Most pros don't care. It's their job and never a hobby.

A story I once heard about Scott Hoch --

Hoch was on the driving range, waiting for his tee time, and found himself next to an eager rookie. The kid turned to Hoch and said: "I just can't wait to get out there and play."

Hoch replied: "You actually enjoy this game?"

Now THAT'S funny. 

I can almost "hear" Hoch saying that.

[Matt MacIver]

The more I know about my industry, profession, competitors and various situations surrounding same, the better I will do. 

Same goes for golf pros, period.  Because they naturally care or make themselves care to be more successful, either way. 

I'm humored, at times by Boo, AK and the rest of these type guys and in awe of their ability to hit the golf ball, but I don't give a fig if they ever win another tourney, and they're not worthy of winning a Major (says me). 

[Rob Rigg]

I bet the young euros and aussies would now if they had won a tournament on an Open course - it may not be apples to apples, but I think that some of the ignorance amongst young pros in the US is a cultural thing. ie) it's about the money and the lifestyle it provides them, not a lot more.

Maybe it has always been like this, but it always seemed like the Watsons, Crenshaws and Nicklauses of the world had a deeper appreciation for the courses they played and their part in American golf history.

Of course, that could have come with time and experience - AK has only been on the tour for a few years so he is still chasing girls and partying like any other 23 year old with a ton of cash would be doing.

[Wade Whitehead]

Whether or not it affects ability to win, it's unimpressive.  The game deserves more.

WW

[C. Squier]

Ok, quick....everyone tell me what the most significant events were in 1997 and 1964 in your respective industries.  No Wikipedia either.

The sooner we can differentiate the HUGE difference between a Tour player making a living on TV and the sport/hobby we play, the better everyone will be.  Think Steve Jobs gives a shit about who at Sony created the Walkman?  A Boeing engineer knowing the Wright Brother's story chapter and verse?  Why focus on history when you're in the position to create history.  Let the geeking out about trivial facts to those who have no chance at creating new history (that would be us). 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I don't care how young he is it is the job of anyone to know the history of their chosen field. 

[George Pazin]

I don't care how young he is it is the job of anyone to know the history of their chosen field. 

Can't say that I disagree with you, at least in theory.

However, there's a lot we don't know: we don't know if AK was kidding around, we don't know if he was being deceptive to "look cool to his peeps", and we don't know much about what else AK does know about golf. He sure knows a lot more about going low in a big time event than anyone on here, that's for certain.

While the rest of us were learning about the history of golf, or our respective professions, or going to school, playing other sports, doing pretty much anything, AK was just playing golf. Like it or not, people who are at the top of their profession tend to be obsessed with the actual practice of that field, be it sports, music, politics, medicine, whatever. That focus is a big part of what gets them to the top (with talent being the obvious other large factor...).

[Jimmy Chandler]

I don't care how young he is it is the job of anyone to know the history of their chosen field. 

No, it's Anthony Kim's job to shoot the lowest score each round that he can, and to act in ways that helps his sponsors.  If his lack of knowledge of the history of golf had an impact on the latter, then he would be failing in his job.  But since 99+% of all golf viewers don't know anything about golf history, I'm sure Kim's sponsors couldn't care less.

And Kim's not unusual in American sports.  I'm sure if you polled professional players in any sport a large percentage, probably a majority, would be unable to answer basic trivia questions about their sport's history.

And it doesn't matter.  We watch golf tournaments for the entertainment -- to see people like Kim compete in ways we can only dream of.  We don't watch for his knowledge of past tournaments.

[Jason McNamara]

Think Steve Jobs gives a shit about who at Sony created the Walkman? 

I get your point Clint, but that may be a bad example, given Jobs' history on design issues.

Let the geeking out about trivial facts to those who have no chance at creating new history (that would be us). 

Fair enough, but is there a difference between knowing about Venturi's win vs. "Hey, did Jim Barnes win at Columbia or Skokie?"

[mike_beene]

At least he plays out of an old traditional course in Dallas.

[Steve Salmen]

I watch Anthony Kim because he is one of the best players in the world.  I don't care what he knows or doesn't.  I will continue to be amazed at his ability.  I do not watch him or any other golfer for architectural or any other form of knowledge they may or may not have.  I don't care if he has zero respect for the traditions and history of the game, so long as he treats people well and plays his game at a good pace with etiquette.  Why would anyone else care?

[Brent Hutto]

Me and Anthony, we have an implicit understanding...

He doesn't expect me to shoot 68 from the Open tees on the Black.

I don't expect him to know who Orville Moody is.

[Nicholas Coppolo]

from someone who performs for a living: 

I feel no responsibility or obligation to know the history of the houses I work in.  My job is to know the terms of my contract,  the production, my role and deliver fine performances.

The rest is peripheral and distracting.

I don't get paid to know the spot where Leonard Warren died on stage.

Kim's job is to play golf.  Not have an appreciation for the history of the game.

[Adrian_Stiff]

The pro's are there to shoot their lowest scores, many don't even notice the course or can't remember the holes just days after playing them. What they remember is the greens.