Queen Of The Greens

For those wondering what Michelle Wie's career would look like if she had tapped the brakes, say hello to Kimberly Kim. Last year, the Korean-American from Hawaii became the youngest champ in the history of the U.S. Women's Amateur, at age 14. Needing a birdie on the last hole, Kim sunk a 12-footer with the icy nerves of a pro twice her age, then sounded very much like a teenager when she told a reporter, "I just, like, hit it. It was like, Whatever, just hit the ball."

The win earned Kim an invite to her first LPGA event, this month's SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Here we go again, you say? Just another teen running headlong into the impatience of the golf world? Not exactly. "We are not like Michelle Wie," says Kim's father, Young Soo. "We are not in a rush. We are going to be more careful." Unlike Wie, who turned pro at 15, Kim is taking the slow and steady approach. She and her mom, Arlene, moved to Arizona in May to make it easier to travel the amateur circuit. When not doing schoolwork online, Kim is tweaking her swing, getting accustomed to fast mainland greens and enjoying her favorite hobby: sleeping. "I just want to make choices for the long run," she says.

So let the girl act her age.

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