Chance for Kim is now

Anthony Kim obviously isn't one of those players who has to play in a few Masters Tournaments before he feels comfortable enough at Augusta National Golf Club to start producing low numbers and high finishes.

In just his second tournament round, at the 2009 Masters, Kim broke the Masters record for birdies in a round with 11 en route to 7-under-par 65. He would finish tied for 20th.

Last year, Kim briefly contended for the title. He closed with 65 that time and finished third.

For his eight career rounds at Augusta National, the 25-year-old has struck for 40 birdies (22 in 2009 and 18 last year) and two eagles (both came last year). He's also had 26 bogeys and two double bogeys, making him 14-under for 144 holes.

"I don't have any different game plan when I go out there than I do at any other golf course," Kim said.

"It just suits my game," he said. "I like the fact you have to hit to spots on the greens and let the ball funnel toward the hole instead of just aiming at the hole and hoping to make birdie. You have to think your way around the golf course, and it's a position golf course."

One reason for all his under-par numbers is that once Kim positions his ball on the green, he often follows through by making the putt.

In 2009, he had just 109 putts, finishing second in the field. Last year, he tied for fifth with 114, two fewer than the winner, Phil Mickelson.

"The greens are obviously very fast and undulating, but for some reason I putt better on fast greens," Kim said. "They are so pure. There aren't 144 guys in the field, so you get a nice smooth surface and if you get the line and speed right, it's pretty easy to make putts out there."

As Mickelson and runner-up Lee Westwood were battling in the final pairing in last year's closing round, Kim was making a back-nine charge four groups in front of them.

After shooting 2-under-par 34 on the front nine, Kim reeled off birdies on Nos. 13 and 14.

When he eagled the par-5 15th hole with a 15-foot putt to go 6 under for the round, he was only one shot off Mickelson's lead.

"I told my caddie right before I hit the putt (on No. 15) that I was going to make this and birdie 16, 17 and 18 and win the Masters," Kim said.

He did birdie No. 16 but made pars at Nos. 17 and 18 for 31 on the back nine and 65. He finished four shots behind Mickelson, who had a final-round 67.

"We obviously were a couple short because of Phil's outstanding play," Kim said. "At the same time, we gave ourselves a chance to win and we'll hopefully do that again this year."

"He's got a lot of game," said Nick Price, who previously set the record of 10 birdies when he shot a course-best 63 in the third round of the 1986 Masters.

Price, who was once paired in the same group with Kim in the Shark Shootout, thinks aggressive players such as Kim will break the Augusta National course record he shares with Greg Norman.

"If the conditions are just right like we got them on the day we shot 63 there, I'm sure that will tumble," Price said.

Kim shot his final-round 65 in the 2010 Masters while playing with a painful thumb injury that would require surgery three weeks later. He also had an ankle injury when he played college golf at Oklahoma.

"I'm not going to worry about what happened and whether I feel like I got a bad deal or an unfortunate situation," Kim said when asked whether he ever wonders how much he could have accomplished if not for those injuries. "That's not going to get me anywhere. I'd probably end up sulking in the corner of a room somewhere. I decided I have the opportunity to win golf tournaments right now, have fun and enjoy my life."

After the way Kim played in his first two Masters, does he think he'll be wearing a green jacket one day?

"I'm not into predicting the future," he said. "I'm just going to go out there and practice hard and see what happens."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 ordavid.westin@augustachronicle.com.