Crowd-pleaser Kim keeps things lively

ORGANISERS WERE handing out apples, water and bananas at the first tee in yesterday’s pro-am at Killeen Castle. Bags and pockets were filled and as the first amateur stepped up to hit his drive, fruit sticking out of his pocket, a voice boomed out from behind. “Hey, is that a banana in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?”

Ireland, let us introduce Christina Kim. The American Solheim Cup player, who arrived in Ireland a few days ago and headed straight to Temple Bar for a few bevies, knows how to stand out in a crowd.

Dressed in a trilby hat and arm warmers, it took just five holes before her shriek again echoed around the course when she pitched into the par-four fifth from wedge distance. “Save it for tomorrow,” shouted world number four Suzann Pettersen from the sixth tee box.

Kim arrives with a golfing pedigree as well as a reputation for entertaining. She tied for eighth place at the 2010 US Open and came third in last year’s British Open, her best finish at a major championship.

Currently ranked at 53 in the world, she passed the €3.6 million mark for career earnings in 2008 and continues to radiate an extrovert, crowd-pleasing personality that yesterday brought more than a smile to the faces of those in the first group out.

“I’ve never been outside Dublin airport before,” she said before comparing next year’s Solheim Cup venue at Killeen Castle to last year’s US course.

“You know it (Killeen) honestly reminds me quite a bit of Rich Harvest Farms that we played last year. It’s not your most quintessential European-style golf course; fairly wide open, lots of space, generous, very undulating, slopey greens, beautiful facilities. There’s so much space out here, it’s just absolutely gorgeous.”

Her own view of who might win this weekend was just as all encompassing but a little less detailed. “I think it bodes well for anybody; as long as there are 18 boxes and 18 cups, it’s anybody’s game.”

Out today at 1pm with Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson and Brittany Lang from the US, Kim can run hot, especially with her irons, although one of her best features remains her enthusiasm.

“This is probably one of the strongest fields of any tournament that we are going to play.

“It will make for a great challenge. It will make for a great championship,” added the Californian.

From First Hole

8am – M Robbertze (SA), J Lundberg (Swe), R Hakkarainen (Fin).

8.10am – M Arruti (SpN), J Greciet (Fra), C Booth (Sco).

8.20am – E Giraud (Fra), F Piovano (Ita), M van der Graaff (Net).

8.30am – K Larratt (Eng), C Alonso (SpN), C Fallay (Fra).

8.40am – E Bennett (Eng), J Lee (Kor), E Cabrera-Bello (Spn).

8.50am – Hazel Kavanagh, L Hall (Eng), B Loucks (Wal).

9am – Martina Gillen, S Giquel (Fra), R Hudson (Eng).

9.10am V Zorzi (Ita), F Bondad (Aus), C Masson (Ger).

9.20am Tara Delaney, S Croce (Ita), F Johnson (Eng).

9.30am C Afonso (Fra), B Hauert (Ger), J Granada (Par).

9.40am S Walker (Eng), H-L Salonen (Fin), N Gergely (Aut).

12.40pm – R Flood (Aus), C Rominger (Swi), N Reis (Swe).

12.50pm – C Matthew (Sco), D Luna (Ita), AM Guijarro (Spn).

1pm – H Alfredsson (Swe), C Kim (USA), B Lang (USA).

1.10pm – T Elosegui (Spa), A Yang (Kor), B Lincicome (USA).

1.20pm – M Blomqvist (Fin), K Lunn (Aus), K Smith (Aus).

1.30pm – A Nordqvist (Swe), Danielle McVeigh, A Monke (Ger).

1.40pm – L Davies (Eng), Lisa Maguire, K Hull (Aus).

1.50pm – V L-Clement (Fra), A Simon (SA), B Brewerton (Wal).

2pm – L Kreutz (Fra), M Jorgensen (Den), J Kuosa (Fin).

2.10pm – A Rossi (Ita), E Esterl (Ger), H Ralph (Eng).

From 10th Hole

8am – C Kirkland (Fra), K Walker (Sco), J Leijon (Swe).

8.10am – J Maisongrosse (Fra), L Cabanillas (Spa), L Maritz (SA).

8.20am – M Reid (Eng), S Pettersen (Nor), Leona Maguire.

8.30am – Rebecca Coakley, S Gustafson (Swe), L-A Pace (SA).

8.40am – M Hernandez (Spa), J Moodie (Sco), F Parker (Eng).

8.50am – M Hjorth (Swe), IK Kim (Kor), G Nocera (Fra),

9am – A-L Caudal (Fra), I Tinning (Den), C Boeljon (Net),

9.10am – A Stanford (US), M Skarpnord (Nor), K McPherson (US).

9.20am – B Allen (US), S Michl (Aut), L Stahle (Swe).

9.30am – S Lee Bregman (SA), N Garrett (Aus), L Brooky (NZ).

9.40am – Claire Coughlan-Ryan, M Boden (Swe),

T Plucksataporn (Tha).

12.40pm – L Hall (Wal), K Combes (Aus), M Fankhauser (US).

12.50pm – U Wikstrom (Fin), D L-Johnson (Aus), M Prieto (Spa).

1pm – P Lindberg (Swe), V Laing (Sco), B Recari (Spa).

1.10pm – J Schaeffer (Fra), B Mozo (Spa), K Caithness (Sco).

1.20pm – H Zuel (Eng), D DAlessio (US), L Wessberg (Swe).

1.30pm – B Morgan (Wal), T Johnson (Eng), A Walshe (US).

1.40pm – G Sergas (Ita), C Koch (Swe), G Simpson (Eng).

1.50pm – L Kenny (Sco), M Rigon (Ita), LH Sorensen (Den).

2pm – C Aitken (Eng), M Christiansen (Den), M Blackwelder (US).

2.10pm – A Larraneta (Spa), J Pritchard (Wal), E Lind (Swe).