Anthony Kim has signed with LIV Golf after 12 years away from the professional game and is unsurprisingly attracting the attention of his former PGA Tour colleagues.
Open champion Brian Harman has admitted Anthony Kim is a hot topic of conversation on the PGA Tour, after the 38-year-old made a shock transfer to LIV Golf.
Kim introduced himself as one of the GolfHe was one of the rising stars of the late 2000s, winning three times in two years on the PGA Tour. However, after a series of retirements in 2012, the former Ryder Cup star opted to step away from professional golf, disappearing from the public eye altogether.
After a 12-year absence, Kim made a surprise return to the sport in February, signing a contract with Team LIV that would see him occupy one of two wildcard spots for the remainder of the 2024 campaign alongside Hudson Swafford.
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Kim’s gesture undoubtedly caught the attention of members of both camps of professional golf’s downfall, including one of his former Walker Cup teammates in Harman. “I’m always interested when someone picks up the pieces and comes back,” Harman told reporters at Royal Troon on Tuesday, while previewing his Open defence this summer.
“It’s nice to see him playing golf again. He was really tough to beat when he was playing well. Hopefully he can get some of his fitness back.” The Golf Champion of the Year continued: “I hear his personal life is going really well from all reports. I haven’t spoken to Anthony personally in probably about 12 years.
“But yeah, I’ve been rooting for him from the bench. We always swap stories about Anthony Kim, and he’s an easy guy to root for. Hopefully he can keep his momentum going and get some of his form back.” Kim has failed to replicate the form he showed early in his career since his return.
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In four starts in the Saudi-backed series, the 38-year-old has finished bottom of the standings three times, including last week’s event in Adelaide. His only non-final performance came in Hong Kong in March, when the American finished 50th out of 54 players in the three-round event.
Kim was on track to finish the week at the bottom of the leaderboard at the Hong Kong Golf Club, but he showed some of his old self in the final round. The three-time Tour champion shot a superb 5-under-par 65 over his final 18 holes to finish the week three over par, three shots ahead of his former opponent. Ryder Cup teammate Phil Mickelson.
The Joker opened up about his return in an interview with LIV last month, and after experiencing personal struggles during his absence, he’s now enjoying being back in action with his family by his side. “I know that whether I’m a 15 or a 3, my daughter is still going to want strawberry ice cream and I’m going to do that with her.
“That’s the most fun part of my day. Golf, you know, having those experiences with my family, every experience I get to have, I appreciate it even more, and it makes golf a lot easier.” Kim will return to competition later this week, when the LIV Tour makes its second trip to Singapore.
