When Anthony Kim, one of golf’s most enigmatic figures, returned to the sport after a 12-year hiatus, no one knew quite what to expect. Sure, Kim long ago captivated golf fans with 3 PGA Tour wins, a trio of top 10 finishes in majors, and a scintillating Ryder Cup appearance in 2008 that included a 5 and 4 singles drubbing of fellow LIV-er Sergio Garcia to help lead the United States to victory.
But Kim went radio silent for almost 12 years. No one really knows how much golf he played during that time, except that he entered no professional tournaments. So it probably came as little surprise to most that he struggled in his first five rounds of LIV Golf, finishing his first outing in last place with rounds of 76, 76, and 74, and beginning his second tournament, this past weekend’s LIV Golf Hong Kong, with rounds of 76 and 72.
However, Kim turned it around in a big way on the tournament’s final day, carding a 5 under par 65 that, yes, still left him in fiftieth place out of 54 players, but more importantly gave the golf world a reminder of what he’s done in the past, and a glimpse of what he might be able to do again in the future.
How Impressive Is Anthony Kim’s 65?
Despite Kim’s comeback video ending with a bizarre reference to his “haters”—a head scratcher by pretty much all accounts—he is undoubtedly one of the feel-good stories of the season. Golf fans clamored for his return for over a decade. Now that it’s finally arrived, most must be thrilled that he followed up a predictably shaky debut with a round reminiscent of his long-ago heyday. Only four golfers bested his 65, a round that featured seven birdies, on Sunday in Hong Kong.
While Kim is admittedly still a long way away from competing for a title, it’s hard to imagine any athlete stepping away from a sport in the prime of their career, taking a hiatus of over a decade, and registering such an impressive of performance in such a short time. It’s a far cry from Tiger at The Masters in 2019, sure, but it’s something to keep an eye on as the rest of the season develops, and Kim’s many fans—and apparent haters—hang on his every shot.
Kim’s Return Provides Something LIV Golf Desperately Needs
How many people tuned into the last two LIV Golf tournaments just to see how Anthony Kim would fare? Golf’s Prodigal Son’s reemergence is an unquestionable boon for the upstart tour, now in its third full season. LIV’s structure and recruitment tactics leave little room for an important ingredient in the recipe for success of any sport: storylines. Of course, LIV Golf (arguably) features some of the best players in the world—a debate that has been covered here, there, and everywhere, over and over—but where LIV sorely lacks are the developmental tours and qualifying stages that lead to good stories, good television, and good press.
Where’s LIV Golf’s Nick Dunlap, the now-pro from the University of Alabama who became the first amateur since Phil Mickelson to win a PGA Tour event? Or their Jake Knapp, winner of this year’s Mexican Open, who took a job as a bouncer as recently as three years ago to help pay the bills when his golf career was stalling? Certainly, an Anthony Kim victory would provide a similar level of feel-good press for Greg Norman and company. Everyone—LIV Golf, golf fans everywhere—is rooting for Kim to once again find relevance through strong play. Everyone, that is, except the haters.
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