Who Is Anthony Kim?

Anthony Kim last appeared in a PGA Tour event 12 years ago. He left due to injury, and, reportedly because of an insurance policy which paid him millions, Kim disappeared from professional golf. Now, he is poised to make a return to professional golf with LIV Golf.

If you’re new to golf over the last 5 to 10 years, you likely have no idea who Anthony Kim is or was. AK, as he was often called, rose quickly to prominence on the PGA Tour with a strong game which produced 3 wins in four years. He was a prominent member of the victorious 2008 Ryder Cup and 2009 Presidents Cup Teams. He had attitude, charisma, a fantastic golf swing and belt buckles. Golf fans loved him. At the age of 26, it is believed Kim stepped away from golf due to injuries and collected on a reported $10 million insurance policy. If Kim wanted to return to professional golf, he would have to pay back some or all of the payout. There has been speculation about additional reasons for Kim’s vanishing act, but those are rumors only.

When he stepped away from the golf world, very little was seen or heard of him. Every now and then a story would surface about AK playing matches at his club or appearing at a charity event resulting in speculation about a return to competition, but those rumors evaporated quickly. Because of his meteoric rise and subsequent vanishing act from golf, Kim became a mythical figure earning urban legend status. But his return to competitive professional golf never really seemed possible.

Until now.

Rumors have swirled for weeks and months that LIV was in negotiations with AK to join the new tour. Those rumors were fueled by the pro-LIV social media crowd and, certainly, Greg Norman, the LIV Golf CEO. The PGA Tour had also reportedly been negotiating for some time to work out a deal for Kim to return. The believed stumbling block? The alleged insurance policy. How much was required to be paid back if Kim returned to professional golf? If any money needed to be paid back, would anyone pay it?

With the announcement Kim would be joining LIV Golf, the stumbling block appears to have been removed.

His former fans cheered at the news of his return. They have dreamt of Kim’s return and longed to see the old swagger, the brilliant game and, of course, the belt buckles.

If you’re wondering why I keep mentioning belt buckles, Anthony Kim was not only revered for his game but for his belt buckles.

In terms of first appearance, his old fans may have been a bit disappointed.

No AK belt buckle. Just tattoos, drawstring gym shorts and a t-shirt.

Will Anthony Kim return triumphantly, or will he fall flat?

Only time will tell. Not playing competitive professional golf for 12 years is a long time. For the first few years following his injury, reports surface Kim didn’t play golf at all, not even for fun with friends. In 2016, he played in a couple of charity events. In recent years, he has been working on his game fueling the speculation of a possible return. He even started playing regular money matches with tour professionals.

But playing money matches, even with tour pros, is not the same level of competition. Other players have missed a few years due to injuries and never returned to their past form. David Duval comes to mind. Once the number one player in the world, Duval burned brightly winning 13 times on the PGA Tour and The Open Championship between 1997 and 2001. The Open Championship served as his final victory. Duval has attempted several times to come back from injury but never returned to his old form.

If Kim is to be successful in his return to professional golf, it will take time and patience not only on his part but on the part of the fans and LIV Golf. For many fans, expectations will be unrealistically high. They will want to see 26-year-old Anthony Kim, wearing his trademark belt buckles, ripping drives down the fairway. LIV will need to see glimpses of the old Kim. Kim will need to feel comfortable back in the arena. The reality is Kim, now 38, hasn’t played serious competitive golf in twelve years. I hope he is successful in his return, but it will not be easy for him.

Kim opened his comeback shooting 76-76-74 = +16. While this was last place, the scores are what I expected. There were glimpses of the old Anthony Kim. At times he looked frustrated. At other times he looked focused. I still can’t say if his comeback will be successful or not based on three rounds of competitive golf. There needs to be a larger sample size.

I also don’t know what his mindset truly is. He stated last week he was returning to kick ass and prove the haters wrong. The kicking ass comment reminded me of the 26-year-old AK. The proving the haters wrong comment sounded like the LIV against the world mentality. Kim was one of the most beloved players of his generation. Any criticism of his return has mostly been about LIV and not about Kim himself.

In the end, I am rooting for him. I have nothing but respect for anyone who is willing to reenter the arena after such a long layoff. I am concerned, if he fails, what happens to him going forward. Only time will tell.

As always, be thankful when you get to play this amazing game. Be grateful for every shot. Appreciate every moment on the course. Now, go golf!