Golf-Kim puts staying fresh ahead of chasing Dubai riches

By Nick Mulvenney

SHANGHAI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Anthony Kim is likely to stand by his decision to skip the European Tour's lucrative season finale in Dubai, even if he wins this week's WGC-HSBC Champions event, the American said on Friday.

"If I have that opportunity, I may reconsider, but most likely I'm not going to play," Kim told reporters after shooting a 69 to stand sixth at the halfway stage at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

The $1.2 million first prize in Shanghai would make Kim almost certain to be one of the 15 players playing for a bonus pot of $7.5 million at the Dubai World Championship later this month, as well as any earnings from the $7.5 million tournament.

"I think it's easy to get lost in it and just chasing money around and that's not really what I want to do. I think I did that a little bit last year and I'm not going to do that anymore.

"It hurt my golf game physically, and my body obviously wasn't rested, and I think that cost me this year. So I'm going to try to learn from my mistakes. But you never know."

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Kim, who played a big role in his country's Ryder Cup victory last year, joined the European Tour when the "Race to Dubai" was announced last season.

After finishing runner up at the World Match Play in Spain last week, he arrived late in China because of visa problems and did not have a practice round.