Golf: Spectacular shot propels party-boy Kim into semi

Anthony Kim's dramatic finishing flourish has sent the promising young American into the last four of the World Match Play Championship and a dramatic draw against Australia's Robert Allenby - who criticised Kim for being drunk.

Kim was joined in last night's 36-hole semifinals at Finca Cortesin by Allenby who compared Kim to John Daly after a late-night drinking episode. US Masters champion Angel Cabrera and Briton Ross Fisher are in the other semi.

Allenby accused Anthony Kim of coming in sideways at 4am and called him the loosest cannon on the American Presidents Cup team and golf's current John Daly.

"That's not something I really want to get into," Kim said. "I have talked to Robert and what's done is done and it's in the past now." Asked if there might be a lingering edge, Kim said: "My caddie and me entertain ourselves pretty well out there." That will be a yes, then.

Allenby said much of what he said was taken out of context. He never said Kim was spotted at 4 o'clock the morning before their singles match, when Kim reportedly rolled into the team hotel drunk.

"I've been around for 18 years in this game and said a lot of things and regretted a lot of things," Allenby said. "That whole incident is what it is and I've apologised for the way it's come out. It's a dead issue."

Kim got into the final with a spectacular shot. Scott Strange birdied six of the first eight holes on the way to a three-hole victory over Kim that left Allenby one hole short of winning their round-robin group. The difference was down to the 18th. Four down after missing a two-foot putt on 16, Kim looked out.

He produced the shot of the week when his three-wood from 274 yards finished four feet from the pin. When Strange took four to find the green he conceded Kim's eagle putt and his place in the semifinals.

"I ran into a buzz-saw today and it was pretty tough to hang in there," said Kim. "I hadn't played badly ... and I was three down. I found something on 18 when I needed to. When Scott laid up I knew I was going to have to go for it."

Kim said of his reputation for partying: "There's a time and a place for everything. My mum has been telling me that since I was four years old. I try to listen to her. She still scares me.

"Sometimes it's easy to forget and just say I'm 24 years old, I'll do whatever I want. But for the last year and a half I understand this is my job."

On his day Kim is irresistible. He thrashed Sergio Garcia at the last Ryder Cup and was halfway to the 15th tee before he realised he had won. No wonder the US captain, Corey Pavin, is desperate to have Kim on his team. The only problem is the maverick has a penchant for not turning up for team meetings.

Asked how he would cope with such truancy, Pavin said: "He'll come to the team meetings. Anthony's a good kid. . We all do things maybe we shouldn't have done. Anthony's still growing up, but he's such a great talent. Certainly I'd like to see him on the team playing great because he's an asset."

About the last person to beat Kim in a team matchplay singles was Gary Wolstenholme, who rated him second only to Tiger Woods among the amateurs he had come across. "Anything's possible for Kim. I like the sassiness and the club twirling."