Establishment (J. Leonard) vs. New Breed (A. Kim)

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Apr. 12, 2011
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

One of the themes for the 2011 PGA TOUR season is the competition involving the Establishment vs. the New Breed. How will the established players -- those with significant TOUR experience and long-standing championship pedigree -- fare against the young, hungry up-and-comers who are looking to nudge their way into the TOUR's elite?

Each week, PGATOUR.COM will select two players -- one from the New Breed and one for the Establishment -- and analyze their chances heading into the tournament. We'll then track which player has the better score for his team, and keep a running team tally throughout the year.

This week for the Valero Texas Open, we've selected a three-time Valero Texas Open champion in Justin Leonard and Anthony Kim, who has one victory in the Lone Star State.




ESTABLISHMENT
AGE: 38
YEARS ON TOUR: Leonard is in his 17th full season on the PGA TOUR after earning his playing privileges in 1994 without going to q-school. He has 12 PGA TOUR victories, including the 1997 British Open.
OVERVIEW: Leonard is known as one of the toughest competitors in the game. He picked up his first major championship at the age of 25 when he closed with a 65 to beat Jesper Parnevik and Darren Clarke by three strokes -- and nearly won another two years later when he was part of a three-way playoff eventually won by Paul Lawrie. Leonard also won the 1996 PLAYERS Championship, coming from five strokes off the pace at TPC Sawgrass to beat Tom Lehman and Glen Day at the PGA TOUR's signature event. The Texan may be best known, though, for the 45-foot putt he made on the 17th hole of his Singles match with Jose Maria Olazabal that secured the decisive half-point for the Americans at the 1999 Ryder Cup. But Leonard is coming off a decidedly subpar season when he posted just one top 10 -- and he's still looking for his first of 2011.
HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Leonard has won the Valero Texas Open three times, so he's definitely comfortable in San Antonio. All three of his wins came at La Cantera Golf Club, though. He missed the cut last year when the tournament moved to TPC San Antonio.
OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Leonard comes to San Antonio after missing the cut in his last two starts. But he does have three top-20 finishes this season and plenty of motivation to get back on track.
 


NEW BREED
AGE: 25
YEARS ON TOUR: Kim is in his fifth full season on the PGA TOUR and he has won three times, including last year's Shell Houston Open.
OVERVIEW: Kim appears healthy this year after having surgery last May to repair a partially torn ligament at the base of his left thumb. That kept him out until the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and likely cost Kim a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. He had been playing extremely well prior to the surgery with the win in Houston, a runner-up finish at The Honda Classic and solo third at the Masters in a span of four starts. But he didn't finish higher than 25th in seven tournaments after he returned. Kim has shown he can play tough tracks well -- earning his initial PGA TOUR victory in 2008 at the Quail Hollow Championship and later that same year at Congressional for the AT&T National. He put together a solid start to the 2011 season with top-20 finishes in his first three starts, including a tie for sixth at the Farmers Insurance Open. His best finish in seven starts since, though, is a tie for 13th at the Shell Houston Open.
HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Kim tied for second at the 2006 Valero Texas Open. That tournament was held at La Cantera Golf Club, though. He tied for 71st in 2009, the year before the event moved to TPC San Antonio.
OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Kim has only shot in the 60s four times in 16 rounds since he left Torrey Pines where he had his lone top-10 of the year. Two of those came in Houston so maybe a return to Texas will helps.
Tee times
Round 1 Tee Times for Leonard, Kim
Justin Leonard will be playing with Ryan Palmer and Jhonattan Vegas at 9 a.m. ET off the 10th tee on Thursday.
Anthony Kim will be playing with Johnson Wagner and Bo Van Pelt in the first two rounds at TPC San Antonio. They will tee off Thursday at 9:10 a.m. ET off the 10th tee.
Establishment vs. New Breed: 2011 results
Here are the results of the previous matchups this year
  ESTABLISHMENT Score/Finish Tournament NEW BREED Score/Finish  
Steve Stricker 20 under (T-4th) Hyundai TOC Dustin Johnson 14 under (T-9th)  
Ernie Els 4 under (T-42nd) Sony Open Jason Day 8 under (T-20th)
Stewart Cink 5 under (MC) Bob Hope Classic Bubba Watson 7 under (MC)
Davis Love III 5 over (MC) Farmers Insurance Open Rickie Fowler 5 under (T20)
Angel Cabrera 7 under (T-49th) Waste Management Phoenix Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (MC)  
  Padraig Harrington 2 over (T63) AT&T Pebble Beach National Dustin Johnson Even (T55)
Jim Furyk 1 under (T35) Northern Trust Open Louis Oosthuizen 3 over (T62)  
  Vijay Singh 9 over (MC) The Honda Classic Anthony Kim 7 over (MC)
Luke Donald 11 under (T6) WGC-Cadillac Championship Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (T31)  
Sergio Garcia 7 under (T15) Transitions Championship Matteo Manassero 6 under (T20)  
Phil Mickelson 1 under (T24) Arnold Palmer Invitational Graeme McDowell 9 over (MC)  
  Fred Couples Even (T60) Shell Houston Open Gary Woodland 10 under (T13)
Tiger Woods 10 under (T4) The Masters Martin Kaymer 6 over (MC)  
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