How Anthony Kim, The Disappeared Golf Legend, Brought The Tiger Woods Vibes With Him

Back in 2008, Anthony Kim had the world at his feet. An exciting, young, prodigal talent, Kim was fiercely competitive and would have already won three PGA Tours before turning 25. He was a part of the US team in the victorious 2008 Ryder Cup, where he defeated veteran golfer Sergio Garcia. With Tiger Woods waning in the face of injuries and personal matters, the stage looked set for a fresh face to take on the mantle and dominate the game. Unfortunately, though, Anthony Kim disappeared from the game and hasn’t played a PGA Tour since 2012.

Anthony Kim’s promising future that never happened

In a recent podcast on GOLF’s Subpar, 6-time PGA Tour winner, Hunter Mahan shared his take. “Oh, it’s hard to tell people how good he was,” he said. “He’s really good. Really, really talented. He had a really amazing blend of techniques. That was excellent. His swing was fantastic. Short game was great service, streaky putter, but his technique of ball striking was so good.”

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Mahan played with Kim together in the aforementioned Ryder Cup victory. Kim not only had the talent, but also the mindset to go right to the very top, as explained by Mahan. “And he was so consistent. And he was never afraid of competition. He was super competitive when you got him on the golf course.”

“He really wanted to beat your brains in like he really enjoyed just being there was a sort of a tiger thing to him of, you know, he was not afraid of competition from anybody.”

Where’s Anthony Kim now?

Kim was last seen in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2012, where he secured a T66 with a 10-above par. Thenceforth, there have been bits and pieces about him in the news, but the fact remains that he has rarely been in the eyes of the media and has shunned the golfing world completely. However, at the start of 2021, Kim’s longtime coach, Adam Schriber, posted an image with his pupil with the caption “special things to come”. However, neither Schriber nor Kim disclosed anything thereafter.

According to various reports, Kim reportedly has a policy in place for him which would pay him $10-20 million if impeded by a career-threatening injury. It means for an injury-prone Kim, coming back to the greens would mean losing out on the big paycheck.

Will Kim make a comeback?

Not all hope is lost. There were reports stating that Kim could take up the LIV Golf series offer, with a deal matching his policy in price. Having disappeared from the scene in 2012, it is admirable that a vast majority of golf viewers still remember and root for him. It could prove to be a smart move from Greg Norman, CEO of the LIV Golf series, to offer Kim a place in the Saudi-backed league.

As for Kim himself, the decision rests in his hands – to let life go on, or return to the course that yearned for his craft? Only time will tell.

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