Anthony Kim is back! Exploring when did he quit competitive golf and why

The news that Anthony Kim has returned to professional golf after a 12-year absence has the golf world abuzz. Kim will play at least three tournaments with LIV Golf and the announcement was made by Greg Norman himself.

According to reports, Anthony Kim has struck a deal with LIV Golf that would bring him a bonus of between $5 million and $7.5 million. His status would be temporary, as he would enjoy a wild card, and he would initially play in the Jeddah, Hong Kong and Miami events.

Available information also indicates that Kim has the option to extend his relationship with LIV Golf based on his results. There is even talk of him being offered a spot on one of the teams that make up LIV Golf.

A look at Anthony Kim’s career in professional golf

Kim was a world golf star from the start. He made his professional debut in 2006 and played his first PGA Tour event that same year (Valero Texas Open) thanks to a sponsor’s exemption.

The youngster shook up the golf world by finishing T2 in his debut at the highest level. Shortly thereafter, he earned his PGA Tour card through Q-School. Anthony Kim spent the rest of his career playing on the world’s premier tour.

His first victory came in his second season as a pro. It came at the then Wachovia Championship (now the Wells Fargo Championship), where he defeated Ben Curtis by five strokes.

The 2008 season had another victory in store for him on the PGA Tour. It was the 2008 AT&T National, where he won by two shots over Freddie Jacobson. His season results earned him a spot on the Ryder Cup team, where he had a brilliant performance of 1.5 points in 3 matches, including defeating Sergio Garcia in singles.

In 2009, Anthony Kim was out of the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour, but he had good results. That year, he set a record at The Masters that still stands: 11 birdies in a single round (second).

The last victory

Kim last won on the PGA Tour at the 2010 Shell Houston Open. He shot four rounds of 68 > 69 > 69 > 70 to win in a playoff over Vaughn Taylor. He became only the fifth player in the last three decades to win three tournaments on the tour before his 25th birthday. The others (at the time) wereTiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott.

Anthony Kim went straight from the Houston Open to a third place at the Masters after a fabulous fourth-round 65. However, his form dropped off for the rest of the season and he missed four consecutive cuts in the next 10 tournaments.

The reason for this was an injury that would eventually cost him his career. Despite playing 26 events in 2011, he only managed 2 top 10s. In 2012, he played in 10 events but only made two cuts and withdrew three times.

After the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, he underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon and was never able to return to competitive golf. Nearly 12 years later, the golf world will see him back in action when he tees off at LIV Golf Jeddah.