Anthony Kim is set to return to professional golf with LIV Golf Jeddah. For months, there have been speculations about Kim’s return to the golf world and finally, on Saturday morning, the news came to light that the golfer will tee it up at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from Match 1 to 3.
The 38-year-old went through left leg surgery on his Achilles tendon after the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship and ever since he’s not played. But, lately, there was tittle-tattle about his return that finally became true. So, how did Kim fit in with LIV Golf’s 13 teams packed with golfers?
Anthony Kim Will Get a chance to play at LIV Golf Jeddah
The former Ryder Cup star will get a chance to play in the PIF-funded league as one of the two wild card entries and will compete as an individual competitor and not a part of any of the teams. Kim has not played competitively since 2012 and a 2014 source stated that he was receiving $10 million in insurance that prevented him from playing.
⛳️ Anthony Kim is BACK.
Will you tune in to LIV Golf Jeddah to watch him compete next week?
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 24, 2024
But, as far as LIV Golf payouts are concerned, these are said to pay Anthony Kim much more than insurance money. Thus, he could not ignore the lure of the upfront opportunity and took a leap of faith to come back to golf.
In his peak years, Kim became the fifth golfer after Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and others to secure three PGA Tour triumphs before turning 25 years old. He also displayed a terrific performance at the 2008 Ryder Cup to help the US team win. A year later, he was part of the winning team of the USA in the Presidents Cup.
Apart from this, at the 2009 Masters, he shot 65 in round two and sunk 11 birdies. His best finish was a third-place finish at the 2010 Masters. But then his injuries got the best of him and he remembered golf as a fond memory.
In an interview, the American stated how the injuries had slowed him down.
“I’ve got so much ground to make up from injuries—rotator cuff, labrum, spinal fusion, hand injury. I’ve had six or seven surgeries in the last three-and-a-half years.”
So, it is to see how things advance for Anthony Kim after he comes back to professional golf. He is a new addition to the LIV Golf League, which changed several norms last year.
