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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, April 8, 2011 - 7
" Kim shoots first-round 76 at The Masters
By KEVIN RAFTERY
Daily Sports Writer
AUGUSTA, Ga. - At the start
of his first round on Thursday,
Michigan senior Lion Kim stood
behind the first tee at Augusta
National and watched two-time
Masters Champion Jose Maria
Olazabal and
20-time PGA KEVIN
Tour Champi- RAFTERY
on Davis Love
III both push
their drives to At the Masters
the right and
into trouble.
The miscues of two of the
PGA Tour's best golfers left Kim
unfazed.
"I was confident, there's no
question," Kim said after the
round.
Kim teed up his ball and took
three steps back. He took three
practice swings, pointed his club
at the fairway, closing one eye
to get the best possible angle of
where he envisioned hitting the
ball. One deep breath, and he
walked up to the ball - it was the
same routine at every tee box.
With the weight of the golfing
world on his shoulders, he pulled
the trigger and striped his drive
right down the middle.
Two strokes later, Kim secured
his first career birdie at the Mas-
ters after sticking a seven iron to
eight feet and draining the putt,
center-cup.
"It doesn't get any better (than
that)," Kim said. "It's the best
start you could ask for as an ama-
teur."
After one hole, the board fol-
lowing the 12:31p.m. starting time
group read: Kim 1-under, Love III
1-over, Olazabal 1-over.
But eventually, Kim's inexperi-
ence caught up to him en route to
a first round 4-over, 76.
"You have to learn your way
around the course," said Love III,
who shot 3-over par. "I saw (Kim)
do a couple things where I was
just like, 'Don't lay up over there.
Lay up on the other side of the
fairway.'
"I think that experience is
worth a few shots, and probably
the difference for the first timers."
Kim's first miscue came on
the fourth hole, a 240-yard par 3,
when Kim yanked a hybrid club
greedy and overcooked ita bit."
He hit the bunker shot to about
10 feet from the hole but couldn't
convert the putt, resulting in his
first bogey of the day.
And that was justthe beginning
of his troubles with controlling
the draw he had been practicing
all week.
After taking a bogey on the
sixth hole by overshooting the
green on the 180-yard par 3, Kim
pulled his second shot to the left
again on the 570-yard par 5.
He was left with a nearly
impossible third shot, having to
contend with eight trees that lied
between him and the green.
He muffed the shot and
advanced the ball only about 10
yards, leaving him with a fourth
shot from the brush.
He made a 10-foot putt to save
bogey and drop to 2-over on thfe
into th
"1
sta
a!
e left bunker. day.
After an impressive birdie on
the 460-yard No. 9,in which he
hit a long iron to land two feet
it's the best from the hole, Kim's troubles with
the draw came back on the second
rt you could nine
He bogeyed the 10th hole, a par
sk for as an four, after hitting his second shot
left of the green. And on No. 11 -
amadteur." the first of three holes on "Amen
Corner" - he hit arguably the
worst shot of his day.
After a nice drive that left him
game plan there all week about 200 yards from the green,
t to try to hit the left side Kim was faced with the daunt-
green," Kim said, "I got ing task of hitting a hybrid into a
green lined with water on the left
side.
"I was not committed (to that
shot)," he said. "I had to cut that
shot a little bit, and I came right
over it."
The mistake left Kim's ball in
the pond, and it led Kim to his
first and only double bogey of the
day.
But two holes later, Kim earned
a stroke back on the 510-yard,
par-5 thirteenth hole with a bird-
ie after sinking a 5-foot left-to-
right putt.
He parred the next three holes,
but ran into some bad luck on No.
17.
"I thought I hit a good drive,
and then it hit a tree branch and
just kicked way left," Kim said.
The unfortunate break left Kim
214 yards from with two trees
directly in his path, leading to his
fourth and final bogey of the day.
While Kim may have been
disappointed with his score, the
experience today - playing in
front of a national television audi-
ence and thousands of people at
Augusta National - is something
that can't be given a score.
And with a solid round tomor-
row - probably with ascore of par
or better - Kim still has a good
chance of making the cut.
"It was unbelievable playing
with Davis Love III and Olaza-
bal," he said. "Obviously, individ-
ually, I'm not pleased with how I
played, but overall it was a great
experience. I can't complain."
COURTSEY OFKEVIN RAFTERY
Junior golfer Lion Kim prepares to hit a tee shot at Wednesday's par 3 contest at Augusta National Golf Club.
"My
was jus
of the
Gardner continues to grow in
Robinson's shadow for Blue.
Former teammates support
Kim, weather improving
By TIM ROHAN
Daily Sports Editor
Denard Robinson casts a long
shadow.
Standing in it is a 6-foot-4 pro-
tege with a strong arm and long
strides, waiting his turn, techni-
cally with a longer shadow..
Both are mobile quarterbacks,
with speed to burn - there's no
question Robinson has more of it.
But Devin Gardner has one
thing on Michigan's starting
quarterback: size.
"He's a little more of a proto-
type, in that he's tall and can see
the field," Michigan offensive
coordinator Al Borges said.
This spring, while all eyes are
fixated on Robinson and his tran-
sition to the pro-style offense,
Gardner is making the same
change, and just as smoothly.
"Devin is formidable," Borg-
es said. "Devin is doing a nice
job. Devin's a good quarterback.
Devin's done some really good
things. He has some of the same
traits, as far as pull the ball down
and run.
"Denard does some things that
are dynamic that I can't coach
- that nobody can coach. Devin
does some of those too. They play
the position similar in some ways
and different in others in that I
think Devin can work inside the
pocket because of his profile, very .
naturally."
Borges added that Robinson
can work in the pocket, but his
profile doesn't fit the mold of
throwing over and around a tall
offensive line as Gardner's does.
Michigan fans tasted, if for
only 10 pass attempts, what the
future holds in week four against
Bowling Green last season. Gard-
ner completed 7-of-10 passes for
85 yards and a touchdown, and he
also ran for another score.
It was just ayear ago, duringthe
2010 Spring Game, when Gardner
received aswarm reception in the
Big House as the Michigan fans
recognized the arrival of the five-
star recruit.
This spring, he has been put-
ting in the work to improve. With
Tate Forcier's transfer, Gardner
is the Wolverines' only reliable
backup to the injury-prone Rob-
inson.
"(Gardner's) an ambitious kid,"
Borges said. "He spends a lot of
time watching film and trying
to get up to speed on what we're
doing. He has improved at a steady
rate. He's an accurate passer ...
I've been very happy with Devin's
progress. I think he's going to be
a good one before it's all said and
done."
Borges also had kind words
to say about Robinson's develop-
By KEVIN RAFTERY
Daily Sports Writer
the middle of last week, has
missed alot of class - but most of
his teachers understand why.
was take a look at his apparel.
"(The shoes) were very com-
fortable," he said. "I actually wore
- -MK. -m vo - - ,II41 ai
Quarterback Devin Gardner has demonstrated an ability to be effective inside
the pocket in new coach Brady Hoke's pro-style offense.
ment.
But with Michigan coach Brady
Hoke's mantra of competition at
every position, one question natu-
rally comes to mind: Is the Big Ten
Offensive Player of the Year's spot
safe?
Probably.
"Devin is doing his darndest to
see to it that he pushes that issue
and he's done a good job with it,"
Borges said. "But at this point,
Denard's our quarterback. I've got
no reason to believe he's not going
to be our quarterback. Everything
is pending, you never know. But
they both have done a good job.
And they're competing and I love
it - I love it."
One possibility, which Rich
Rodriguez employed at times with
Robinson and Forcier in 2010, is a
rotation between Robinson and
Gardner.
Last year, Rodriguez and the
other offensive coaches said they
had plays they liked to run more
with Forcier than Robinson.
And the boilingpoint came dur-
ing an ugly win at Purdue, when
Robinson was pulled - due to
poor play, not injury - and Forcier
didn't generate much either.
At the time, Robinson insisted
that sitting on the sidelines didn't
negatively affect his game.
But Borges isn't exactly a fan of
the two-quarterback gimmick.
"With the game in the bal-
ance - not much," Borges said.
"I've never been a believer in that.
That doesn't mean we won't do it.
But I've never been a believer in,
'Well, let's play him a series in the
first half, see how he does, get him
a little experience.' And then you
put him in there and he throws an
interception, you lose 10-7.
"But I don't know, I'm not say-
ing we won't do that. Brady and
I got to talk about that after the
spring."
Borges did note that when he
was coaching at Auburn, Georgia
rotated the pocket-passing David
Greene with the uber-athletic
D.J. Shockley and found success.
Shockley threw about four passes
per game during Greene's senior
season in 2004 - Greene gradu-
ated as Division I's all-time win-
ningest quarterback.
And the next year during his
senior season, Shockley was
named an All-SEC quarterback
with more than 2,500 passing
yards and 24 touchdowns.
"(Shockley's) next year, he had
that, playing in every game, and
because of it, it really helped it,"
Borges said. "So I would never
say never. But it's never been my
approach as a coordinator."
, Gardner may have four more
years of eligibility remaining, if he
is indeed granted a medical red-
shirt for his freshman season -
the status of which he won't know
until after his fourth year.
Conventional wisdom would
believe that Gardner will be hand-
ed the keys to the offense when
Robinson graduates or jumps to
the NFL after the 2011 season,
giving him two to three years to
creep out from Robinson's shad-
ow.
But will he see the field this
fall? That is a discussion yet to be
had.
"We're not going to make that
decision until we see all of the
cards on table, get through spring,
see where we are with the whole
thing," Borges said. "But I would
not commit one way or another."
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Any time "Surprisingly every profes- them two or three times before
senior Lio, Kim needed a little sor knew wh theMasters was, comingin today, so it didn't both-
extra encouragement during except one," he said. "She didn't er me one bit."
Thursday's have a clue. Isaid,'It's like the WEATHER UPDATE: After
first round at NOTEBOOK Super Bowl of golf,' and she was temperatures hovered in the 50s
The Masters, like, 'Okay, great."' and winds howled during the
all he had to do was look into the Playing at the Masters may practice round on Tuesday, condi-
crowd. have been a valid excuse for miss- tions have improved each day.
His family, former teammates, ing class, but it won't get him out "The ball wasn't rolling a whole
friends, current coaches, and hun- of the three papers and three lot in the fairway, but it will con-
dreds of Michigan fans were fol- exams he's missed. tinue to dry out and getharder and
lowing his every move. "It's gonna be a terrible week better," former Masters champion
Former Michigan golfers Ross when I get back," he said. Zach Johnson said after his round
Millman and Billy McKay, both of SHOE CREW: Several times Thursday.
whom graduated in 2010, were a throughout the round on Thurs- Sunscreen was an essential
part of the Lion Kim Fan Club on day, people commented on Kim's on Thursday as the temperature
Thursday. maize, blue and white shoes, not- reached the low 80s and no clouds
"It's definitely a once in a life- ing how stylish they were. bothered the sun all day. Temper-
time experience, at least at this The shoes, which read "Lion" atures are forecasted to be almost
point in our careers," Millman on the heel, matched his maize 90 by Saturday, with only a slight
said. "It was fun to watch him, and blue Michigan shirt. For any- chance of a passing storm, making
that's for sure. It was very excit- one who didn't know where Kim the course conditions nearly per-
ing." attends school, all they had to do feet for the weekend.
McKay, who is now play-
ing on a mini tour in Arizona,
attempted to put into words a NATIONAI. NATIONAL STORAGE
what it would be like to be in " STORAG CENTER OF ANN ARBOR
Kim's shoes.
"I can imagine the crowds," STUDEN T RAGE
he said, "But I can't imagine
playing on this golf course and
this venue. It's gotta be pretty
surreal for him, but he handled *Based on availability - first come first served. Expires 4/30/11
it pretty unbelievably."
But even under the micro- 3870 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor
scope of the golf world, both 734-747-9060
McKay and Millman comment- WWW.selfstoragespeCialists.Com
ed it was the same Lion on the MichiganDailyWSpring2011
course - always calm, always
focused.
"You don't know what (score)
he's at (because of his demean-
or)," Millman said. "He could be
3-under or 3-over - you don't
know."
And for McKay, who was hol-
lering support to Kim at every 5 8 2 1 3
chance he could get, there was
one phrase he couldn't get97
enough of.
"(For) any Michigan player,
you get to yell'Go Blue!'on every
hole," he said. "Who doesn't
want to do that?" 3 1
Both former Wolverines will
be back on the course Friday, 3
cheering their former teammate
on.
And knowing Kim, neither91 8
would be surprised to see him
perform well under the spot- 4 9
light.
"He really plays well when it
comes to big events," said Mill-
man, the former Michigan men's
golf team captain. "I'm expect-
ing him to play well tomorrow,
and I think he is, too." " " "C"
PLAYING HOOKEY?: Kim,
who has been in Augusta since
I
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