Golf Central

"It's awesome!" That's what Anthony Kim, one of the brightest young stars on the PGA Tour had to say about his upcoming visit in March to Korea for the inaugural Ballantine's Championship, when the European Tour spreads its tentacles further across the world.

The 22-year-old Southern Californian, Korean-American by birth and brought up on the not-so-pleasant streets of Los Angeles' Koreatown, can't wait for his crack at the Pinx Golf Club on South Korea's Jeju Island - three weeks before the Masters.

"It will be an awesome experience," Kim said, relishing the chance to compete in the country of his parents' birth. He'll be joining PGA Tour regular KJ Choi at the Ballantine's by Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie, so it should be a chance for Kim to see what he's made of (so to speak).

Recently, two-time major winner Mark O'Meara, Tiger's good buddy, tipped the 22-year-old Kim for greatness, and we believe O'Meara. And as any Southern Californian will tell you, kids from Koreatown are tough. Here's what our old buddy John Strege, who followed Tiger Woods as a youngster in Orange County, California, wrote about Kim's background in a US Golf World feature last August. Enjoy.