First he equipped Tiger Woods for life as the world's No1 golfer, now Mark O'Meara is steering another brash young American towards major championship glory.

Anthony Kim comes to his first Open Championship already being touted as "the new Tiger". And that is thanks in no small part to the reality check he got from O'Meara just before Christmas when the two men were unlikely team-mates in the Merrill Lynch Shoot-out.

At 50 years of age O'Meara, winner of two majors including the last Open to be hosted by Royal Birkdale in 1998, was considered to one of the game's wise old hands.

Kim, just 22, came saddled with a reputation for speaking his mind, often out of turn and laced with temper, and for spending more time in nightclubs than on the practice range.

A stellar amateur, Kim was in danger of wasting his talent now he had turned professional. But at least he knew it and he turned to O'Meara for advice.

It was a good decision. After all, O'Meara had taken the young Woods under his wing back in the mid-nineties and his mature influence was crucial in helping Woods go on to live the life of a champion. O'Meara recalled: "I just conveyed to Anthony, 'You've got as much talent or more than any other player I've ever seen besides Tiger'. And I believe that. So I laid it out for him. I said, 'Unless you don't like money and you don't want to win tournaments, then maybe you continue down that other road'.

"At 22 Tiger had already won six tournaments and I think Tiger's mental game was stronger. But technique-wise I reckon Anthony's swing was better at 22.

"He could win multiple tournaments a year easily and win major championships. That's how talented he is in my opinion."

O'Meara's dressing down transformed Kim, born in Los Angeles of Korean-American parentage. In May he won the Wachovia Championship and earlier this month he took the AT & T National to all but book a Ryder Cup debut for the United States come September.

"Mark's been tremendous," said Kim. "Spending that time with him at the Merrill Lynch Shootout, it was priceless because I learned so much and we developed a pretty strong bond.

"I've learned so much from him and I'm still learning. He just gives me the best advice."