Golf’s nice prodigy turned mysterious recluse is returning to the game after 12 years. Anthony Kim joined LIV Golf and can play within the league’s occasion in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this week as a wild card.
“After stepping away from the sport years in the past on account of damage, I’m completely satisfied to formally announce my return to the world {of professional} golf,” Kim mentioned in a information launch Wednesday. “It’s been a very long time coming, and I’m very grateful for all of the highs, lows and classes discovered from the primary a part of my profession.
“I wish to compete with the perfect gamers on this planet, and I’m on a mission to show to myself that I can win once more. The subsequent step on that journey begins now, and I’m excited to present every part I’ve received this season on the LIV Golf League.”
Kim will compete in all remaining 2024 LIV Golf regular-season tournaments as a wild-card participant aiming to accrue factors within the league’s particular person standings and earn a group place in 2025.
LIV commissioner Greg Norman teased Kim’s return in a video on social media Monday, and Kim’s presence on the driving vary didn’t go unnoticed Tuesday. Sports activities Enterprise Journal’s Josh Carpenter snapped a photo of a placard that includes Kim’s identify, after which YouTube golfer Andy Carter posted a video of Kim’s vary session on Instagram.
Kim, now 38, was as soon as one in every of golf’s greatest rising stars who gained two PGA Tour occasions and made a Ryder Cup group by 23 behind thrilling expertise and a giant character that reached sections of followers golf typically struggled to achieve earlier than. Accidents then led to Kim stepping away from skilled golf at 26 and by no means returning.
Kim has grow to be a cult-like determine within the time since, partly as a result of he was such a preferred participant with monumental potential, but additionally due to the thriller that has shrouded his absence. Throughout his taking part in days, Kim was often called a partier who had a sophisticated relationship with how a lot he beloved golf. So when his accidents led to him stepping away and reviews surfaced of him dwelling off an insurance coverage coverage price someplace between $10 and $20 million, it meant solely extra fascination with whether or not or not he really couldn’t play anymore.
So when Golf.com reported in January that Kim was eyeing a return and was in negotiations with each the PGA Tour and LIV, the intrigue solely skyrocketed. Now, Kim is lastly returning and taking part in with LIV, a league backed by the Public Funding Fund of Saudi Arabia which may possible afford to present Kim a signing bonus to assist with the insurance coverage coverage, along with large purses at occasions. Kim is anticipated to play as a single this week and never a part of LIV’s 13 groups.
The difficult ingredient is what Kim’s return means and what to anticipate. Earlier than Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, Kim was golf’s nice younger prodigy, anticipated to take some portion of Tiger Woods’ place in golf’s limelight. The Los Angeles native performed school golf at Oklahoma and performed on a successful Walker Cup group earlier than turning professional at 22. Kim gained two PGA Tour occasions at Quail Hole and TPC Potomac by his second full professional season and have become the primary golfer underneath 25 to win two tour occasions in the identical season since Woods in 2000. By the top of that 2008 season, Kim was 23, No. 6 on this planet and the highest rising star within the sport.
With a particularly aggressive type of play and an outgoing character, Kim instantly turned a star in demographics golf didn’t all the time attain. He made the 2008 Ryder Cup group at 23 years previous — younger for a spot on that group at the moment — and he famously dominated Sergio Garcia with a 5&4 drubbing because the U.S. gained for the primary time in 9 years. That subsequent spring, Kim went to the 2009 Masters and broke the match file with 11 birdies within the second spherical. Which will have turned out to be his peak.
He by no means really turned the star he was anticipated to be. He solely gained another occasion, the Houston Open, and slowly fell from No. 6 on this planet to 24, to 31, to 78 from 2008 to 2012. Accidents have been possible a big a part of that, however a lot of the reminiscence of Kim is probably going rooted in 2008 as an alternative of the general image.
He oozes unimaginable expertise. The world has seen it up to now and now it’s an honour as Commissioner of LIV Golf to give the chance for this star to be reborn. Welcome again and to the LIV Golf household mate. The golf world has missed you. pic.twitter.com/HNzsXPgFUp
— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) February 26, 2024
A lot of his rise got here whereas taking part in by a thumb damage, which Kim later mentioned he compensated for and created tendonitis in his wrist. In 2012, he withdrew from three tournaments and ultimately ruptured his left Achilles tendon.
However whereas his absence meant Kim didn’t get to grow to be the star some hoped for, it additionally meant he didn’t need to undergo the conventional peaks and valleys of a profession. The shine ultimately comes off all younger gamers, however being away meant being frozen in time as a beacon of potential.
Due to this, although, Kim might maintain worth. He’s fascinating to so many who followers might tune in to LIV to see what has grow to be of Kim. The subsequent query is how lengthy that curiosity holds if Kim doesn’t play nicely. That half is as much as him.
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(Photograph: Jon Ferrey / LIV Golf)
