'The New Tiger' Has Very Different Stripes to the Old One

Having seen nearly all of the world's top players close up in action before, there was only one who I was really eager to watch and meet yesterday evening: Anthony Kim. If this is the new Tiger Woods, I thought, I want to see his first round of competitive links golf, his first round in the Open.

Only, I have a couple of problems with that label, the 'new' Tiger Woods. First, it seems a little disrespectful to our absent friend. Although Argentina have had close to a dozen 'new' Diego Maradonas, they at least waited for the great man to retire before they started weighing down their young stars with that burden. Likewise in the NBA, where they only looked for Michael Jordan's heir after he had hung up his sneakers. Given that Tiger will be competing in, and most likely winning, majors for the next decade or longer, why should we be in such a rush to find a new version of him?

Second, this tag is related to the ethnic background of Kim, obviously, which for some reason again seems wrong. Kim is a Korean American, Tiger is Cablinasian. Were Kim white, such comparisons wouldn't be made. Remember when Tiger announced his arrival on the world stage by destroying the Masters field in 1997? Well nobody ever called him 'the new Jack Nicklaus'.

Still, this is a weight that Kim, the world No13, is saddled with. He was exasperated when I asked him about it last night, shrugging his shoulders to indicate it was a question and a term he was sick of hearing. For Kim is nothing like Tiger really. There are artificial similarities – they are from a similar background, they are both prodigiously talented golfers, they share a friend in Mark O'Meara, and it didn't help to reduce the hype when Kim won Tiger's tournament earlier this year, the Congressional - but their personalities are very different.

At one point during his excruciatingly slow five-and-a-half hour round yesterday afternoon, Kim seated himself in the rough as he waited for the group ahead to clear. He didn't rise until both his playing partners had made their approach shots. Tiger would never do such a thing. Although the five-iron to within seven or eight feet did look quite familiar.

Kim has also been accused of being a rather brash 23-year-old, at times to the point of arrogance, an adjective never leveled at Tiger. A belt bearing his initials in large silver lettering is a permanent fixture around his waist, his baggy waterproof trousers lowered like a skater-boy's to ensure his bit of bling is there for all to see. That said, he comes across as actually rather likable, happy to engage in conversation for five minutes even though, rather surprisingly, I was the only journalist who wished to speak to him. Such access to Tiger is unimaginable.

No, AK is not the new Tiger. Even if he wins 10 majors in the next five years, he will still not be the new Tiger. What he would be then is a challenger to Tiger, which is precisely what golf needs - a Nadal to Woods' Federer. O'Meara believes he currently lacks the mental strength for that task – who doesn't? – but that his game is certainly up to it.

Yesterday that appeared the case, playing steadily from tee to green while the Masters champion, Trevor Immelman, thrashed his way around the course, scrambling to keep his score respectable. Kim's swing is picture perfect, coping with the novel demands of links golf admirably, and had he been more fortunate with his putter he would have bettered his 72. Only the hitherto unseen pot bunkers seemed to affect his rhythm, hurriedly swishing his sand wedge before jumping back out, as if he was afraid he might be sucked down into oblivion.

It was mightily impressive for a rookie on these shores, giving credibility to those who believe he can be an Open winner on his debut. There have been 10 of those, including the great Ben Hogan and Tom Watson. If Kim joins that list, he won't be following in Tiger's footsteps. He'd be doing something even the great man never managed.