The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com April 18, 2011 - 3B ROAR From Page 4B It wasn't Kim's first time at Augusta - he had visited three times earlier in the year to get a feel for the course - but it was a first of many other things. "It was my first time playing in front of a real crowd," Kim said after the practice round. "But I wasn't nervous at all, partially because I was with my good buddy (Johnson)." Johnson and Kim spent the practice round working mainly around the greens - testing the speeds, analyzing the breaks, and getting a feel for golf's fierc- est greens. "I was very pleased that a guy of his caliber still keeps up with a friend like me and just tries to catch up on me," Kim said. "That just shows his character - nice, genuine." Added Johnson: "We had a great time. He's matured a lot, and his golf game is really good." Masters Monday was his first real taste of golf's brightest spot- light, but Kim was certainly not alone in his quest to handle his new-found recognition. ONE OF MANY traditions at Augusta National is to have the amateurs stay at "the Crow's Nest" - a dorm-like room at the top of the infamous clubhouse. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods both stayed there as ama- teurs, and the tradition oozes out of every standard piece of furni- ture in the room. But Lion Kim politely declined the offer to stay at the Nest - his family was with him for the week, and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with them. And while most players arrived to Augusta in private jets or in the comfort of first class seating, Kim decided to drive down with the people he called his "lucky charms" - his par- ents, Yong and Hyun. "It's gonna mean a lot," Kim said the week before the Masters about being at the tournament with his parents. "I'm going to have a great support system, and it's just going to give me some confidence and definitely make me feel comfortable out there." But it wasn't the first time his parents served as a calming influence in Kim's young golfing career. Hyun was in Greensboro with her son during the US Amateur Public Links, following him on every hole. And when he needed some reassurance the most - during the seven-hour rain delay in the final round to qualify for the Masters - Hyun was there for him. "I have to give all the credit to my mom," Kim said after his vic- tory. "We talked a lot. She kept me relaxed. We talked about everything, even from my child- hood days. Literally everything that we could talk about we talk- ed about in those seven hours." With his family by his side, Lion Kim was ready to embrace the spotlight. HE WAS HITTING balls on the range on Masters Tuesday as he was approached by a man with dark hair spilling out of his PING visor. "Oh, are you Lion Kim? I signed up to play with you (in the par-3 contest)," the man said. It was Kim's favorite play- er - Bubba Watson, the lefty from Bagdad, Fla. known for his booming drives and playful per- sonality. The rising star and two-time PGA Tour Champion introduced himself as if Kim wouldn't even know who he was. "That was pretty amazing," Kim said the day before the par-3 contest. "We're going to have a blast. He's obviously a great young stud out here, so I'm going to learn a lot from him as well." The next day, Watson and Kim, along with three-time PGA Tour Champion Aaron Baddeley, played in the contest together. Kim finished the contest even - five strokes back from the winner Luke Donald - but com- peting in the par-3 contest was about much more than just scor- ing well. In fact, historically it has been a curse to win the con- test, as the winner almost always goes on to do poorly in the actual tournament. "It was great," Kim said after the round. "Bubba and Aaron were great sports, and we had a lot of fun just staying loose and not taking it too seriously." While the mood remained light throughout the contest, it became more serious as the sun set and the lights dimmed one final time before the opening round of the 2011 Masters. Kim was slated in the 12:31 tee time with Olazabal and Love III the next day. AFTER THE PERFECT opening to his Masters debut on Thursday, the bright southern sun beganto shine even brighter on Kim - and he began to show signs of his youth. The high of his first-hole birdie had faded - quickly. Bogey onthe fourth hole. Bogey on the sixth. Bogey on the par-5 eighth. A birdie on the ninth provided a brief respite, but it was followed by another bogey on the 10th. And then, the round-killer: dou- ble bogey on the 11th - the first hole of Amen Corner. Kim hita nice drive but yanked his second shot left into the pond that lines the leftside of the green. And even he knew at that point things were beginning to unravel. "The second shot, I was not committed," Kim said. "All week, I'd been hitting a draw, and obvi- ously I had to cut that shota little bit. And I came right over it." But then Kim began to show signs of life. Par on the 12th and birdie on the 13th - the final hole of Amen Corner. He finished the round at 4-over (76), and even after the flurry of bogeys, he was still within strik- ing distance of the weekend. On Friday, he came out ready to face the bright lights like a sea- soned veteran. Six pars, two birdies and a bogey en route to a front nine score of 35 (1-under) and 3-over overall - suddenly, he was right back in the hunt to make the cut. "I knew if I shot under par on the back, I would have a good chance of playing through the weekend," Kim said after the round. "I had a number in mind." He parred all three holes of Amen Corner, hitting solid shot after solid shot and knocking down five-to-10 footers with ease. He remained solid on holes No. 13 through 17, parring each hole and hanging around the cut line at 3-over. As he walked up to the 18th tee, Kim knew he had one last chance to extend his dream to the weekend. LION KIM STOOD on the 18th green on Masters Fri- day, studying a nearly impossible 35-foot putt for birdie from just off the green. He knew he was hovering around the cut line, and in order to have any chance to make the cut, he'd have to sink the bomb. "That putt is one we practiced all the time," his caddy Laurence said. It was a putt that would have to make the shape of a horseshoe before making it to the hole - the type of putt that drives any- body nuts at the putt-putt course. After minutes of deliberating, Kim let the putt loose, aiming a solid twenty feet away from the hole in order to give the ball a chance to work off the slope and back toward the hole. The ball hit the peak of the horseshoe and looked as though it were about to come back down the slope - but it hung up in the fringe, refusing to budge and stopping nearly 25 feet away from the hole. "If that putt comes off, it comes right to the hole," Lau- rence said. "We knew it, and I just wanted to make sure he got it there. It wasn't way too much CHRIS O'MEARA/AP Senior Lion Kim had a fighting chance to make the cut at the Masters. hard, itjust wouldn't come off." Instead, he was left with a 25-footer for par - a putt not much easier than his original look at birdie. He missed the par putt and tapped in for bogey for a two-day score of 148 (4-over). He took off his visor and shook hands with Olazabal and Love III. It was over. -Lion Kim had missed the cut. KIM TRIED TO remain positive in his post-round interviews. After all, he did still score bet- ter than nine former Masters Champions and both his play- ing partners, Olazabal and Love III, and he was just a 21-year-old amateur. "Competing as an amateur, it doesn't get any better," Kim said. "I scored better than I did yes- terday, but I'm still disappointed with the way I finished there ... But overall, it was a great week. I can not complain about any- thing." As fans gathered around him, Kim walkedback to the clubhouse to share a meal with his family. And then, he went back to work. He walked back to the range, hitting shot after shot, thinking n about what he could do differently next time. Maybe next time, he won't hit his second shot left on the 11th. Maybe next time, he'lbe the Tour pro in the picture with the starry- eyed fan. Maybe next time, they'll be able to pronounce his name cor- rectly at the first tee. Maybe next time, he'll have that same putt on the 18th, and he'll know the break just a little better. And maybe next time, he'll drain it. As darkness overcame the hal- lowed grounds of Augusta Nation- al that Sunday, the sun set on the 2011 Masters. But for Lion Kim, the sun has just begun to rise. MATTISON From Page 1 The confidence the defense has played with this spring has been fueled by their ability to grasp Mattison's defensive schemes in a matter of three weeks. And they have their fun out there, too. Martin said they'll throw in some dummy-words and fake calls to spice it up - only they know who's coming, which makes it hard on the opposing quarterback. "The zone blitzes are awesome too - there's going to be times I drop out and Mike's going to come in, (and) Will (Campbell) might slant outside," Van Bergen said. "The thing coach Mattison goes with is unpredictability.,You don't know where we're going to be, so that way you can't plan for it. I think that's going to be suc- cessful." The battle between the offense and defense this spring ended with the defense, perhaps, get- ting the upper hand. Besides Rob- inson's one long run, he didn't torch the first team defense. And though sophomore quarterback Devin Gardner did throw a touchdown pass to junior Je'Ron Stokes late, he also threw two interceptions - one to spring-game standout Carvin Johnson and the other to red- shirt freshman linebacker Jake Ryan, who returned the pick for a touchdown. What Hoke and Mattison remembered wasn't the multiple sacks the defense registered or the interceptions - it was the 68-yard touchdown run Mike Cox broke against the second- team defense and the long run by Robinson. "The one thing I didn't like was big plays, especially with the first unit or any unit," Mattison said, who adding he usually saves his analysis for after he watches the film. "Our unit can't be what we want to be if we allow them to get big chunks." The zero points by the first- team offense and the 14 points scored by the second-team offense wasa" positive ,-Matti- son is OK with bending, just not breaking. "We've tried to make abigthing about, as long as we have a place to stand, as long as that ball isn't across that endzone, then we're still a good defense," Mattison said. "And we've really worked on that. And I think they're starting to buy it and believe that. I think I heard one of them say that out there in that situation." Multiple defensive players used the word fun to describe what they were doing under Mat- tison. The defense's own coach would taunt Robinson, saying he couldn't throw the football throughout the-spring. Robinson: would make a play and smile back' at Mattison. His defense had more success than one might expect consider- ing the unit finished close to last in Division Iin total defense. "Our offense has really, really tested us and beaten us during the spring at times," Mattison said. "It's helped us that they are going to be a physical, power- type offense, and as well as being able to get Denard to do what he does. "And that really makes it hard on a defense when you can't just say this is a spread team and OK, 'We're going to run this defense. Then all of a sudden you're going against a power team." The estimated Spring Game crowd of about 27,000 people included 1997 Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson, who expressed his pleasure with the return of a defensive emphasis. It's starting with Mattison's NFL-like blitz packages. When Martin was asked whether he and his fellow defend- ers were pickingup all of the com- plicated schemes and calls, he was confident they were already comfortable. "I think the offense needs to try and pick it up better," Martin said with a chuckle. JOHNSON From Page 1B nation. And all spring, the talk of how to improve the defensive backfield has focused on who hasn't been on the field rather than who has. Redshirt junior J.T. Floyd and fifth-year senior Troy Woolfolk both sat out the spring game, still recovering from ankle injuries. Johnson was on the field and could be a bigger part of the fix. Michigan coach Brady Hoke said earlier in the week Johnson had taken a leadership role on the COXf From Page 1B footrace with the secondary - a 68-yard sprint for the game's first touchdown. "I thought he had a really good day today," Hoke said of Cox. "I thought his patience was pretty good, and I thought he hit the hole pretty well a couple times." Hoke, an admittedly defensive- minded head coach, is keeping a close eye on the backs. Cox is in a five-man battle for the start- ing spot at tailback in the fall and thinks the new-look offense plays to his strengths in the backfield. "When I came in, I committed to coach Carr, and I committed to this type of system," Cox said. "I'm definitely happy to be back in the system that I came here for." Instead of the predominately shotgun formations that the offense worked under for the past three years, it's a pro-style look with multiple running backs. And back end as one of the more vocal players. It may be a comfort issue - Johnson is returning to the posi- tion he played in high school after playing spur linebacker last season. He played with the first- team defense Saturday alongside sophomore Courtney Avery, red- shirt junior Jordan Kovacs and redshirt senior Tony Anderson, but he hasn't solidified a starting spot. With Kovacs, sophomore Marvin Robinson and Thomas Gordon vying for playing time, the battle should continue well into fall practice. For now, Johnson led a sec- ondary that had a couple of turn- overs but also gave up a couple big plays - a long pass and a 68-yard run - that led to the offense's two touchdowns. "That safety has got to be the guy to get them down," Mattison said. "They have to get the guy down if he breaks through the that line of scrimmage. I'm going to say there's a play or two there where the safety wasn't where he's supposed to be." The secondary as a whole came ready to play. Anderson broke up a fade route to redshirt junior Roy Roundtree on the opening drive. Johnson made his negated interception the next drive. Saturday was the first step for a secondary still on the mend from getting beaten all of 2010 and still adjusting to the new defensive scheme that Hoke and Mattison are putting in place. "It's about being more aggressive, that's all it's about," Johnson said. "(Secondary coach Curt) Mallory talks to us about it every day, 'Stop playing so tentative and just go at it.' Because if we sit back on wide receivers, they make moves on us and we're done." the secondary's spring game, And judging by Johnson's and both are far from done. Mention This AD and Receive $100 Of. Now is the efec time taprep withoeofthe atioes leadersaintet preparation. SmalltClasses Expert Instructors Free Era Help HEU, 0, from 5-foot-6, 180-pound junior Vincent Smith to 6-foot, 227- pound sophomore Stephen Hop- kins, Hoke wants the backs ready to play multiple roles. "They want all of us to learn both tailback and fullback, so everybody's doing that," Cox said. "They want everybody to have an all-around game, so you can't play if you can't block or can't run. "I think I'm an all-around player. I'm big, I'm fast, I'm quick and I just want to find my role and help the team out." Last season, Michigan's offense was driven by dynamic, highlight-reel runs from sopho- more quarterback Denard Rob- inson. Robinson opened the game by cutting across the field for a gain of 55 yards. That was no sur- prise - people knew he could do that. But the offense expects to be more multi-dimensional this time around. Michigan offensive coordina- tor Al Borges admitted the spring 4 game featured the running backs for a reason, but "in the real world" Robinson will remain a focal point in the running game. "We're making a transforma- tion here, and you don't learn about this transformation by quarterback running every play," Borges said. "We did a few nice things in terms of moving the line of scrimmage on a few power plays, so we made some headway that way, but we're still a little rough around the edges." After the final whistle, Jackson kneeled with the running backs - a group of eight players - at the 35-yard line while Robinson jogged into the tunnel to the big- gest cheers of the day. In four months, with the resurgence of Michigan's heyday power backfield, the backs in the huddle at the 35-yard line could play as crucial a role as the speedy quarterback. "I feel like the old Michigan is coming back," Cox said, walking off the field with a smile. BOTTERMAN From Page 1B say that we're going to miss her next year is really an under- statement. She's a very special athlete, and more importantly a very special person." While many would assume an athlete with Botterman's abil- ity and love for her sport would have aspirations to compete at the next level, this will actually be her final year of competi- tion. Instead she is focused on graduation and on her wedding to former Michigan hockey star Chad Kolarik. The Wolverine power couple has finally set the date - August 5. Botterman has become a name synonymous with many words, but she has always been a woman of very few. She summed up the end of her career in one sentence. "The ride has been fun, but bittersweet now that it's done," Botterman said.