Kim trailing the tail of the Tiger

LONG before it was over, the 2009 AT&T National had become a character study of the reigning sovereign (Tiger Woods) and the man who could be king (Anthony Kim).

The former has been golf’s most jaw-dropping natural talent for most of the last 15 years, the latter the most promising up-and-comer for the last 15 months. So when Woods and golf’s would-be Tiger clashed at the AT&T National at Congressional over the weekend, few could imagine a more compelling scenario.

Despite a surprise run by Hunter Mahan (62, 12-under), Woods prevailed, shooting a final-round 67 to edge Mahan by one stroke and Kim by four. It was Woods’s 68th career win.