The Anthony Kim Gamble Can Pay Huge Dividends for LIV Golf, Just Not Immediately

Anthony Kim didn’t do anything that he wasn’t expected to do. 12 years of hiatus had left his mark on his game. That one year of hardcore training—as Greg Norman said—couldn’t remove the rust entirely.

Kim shot 6-over 76 in the first round with seven bogeys and a cold shank. The shank obviously received some undue attention because the man he was compared to in his heyday, Tiger Woods, made one in the Genesis Invitational. 

He couldn’t come any closer to par in the second round with an identical score. Kim is at 53 after Matthew Wolff’s withdrawal, with a 12-over 152 to his name. Yet there are reasons to believe that Greg Norman didn’t make a historical mistake by spending millions on a star who was seemingly lost in time.

Anthony Kim will pull more eyeballs in the long run

Kim, in hindsight, could’ve played worse. Like many believed he could have picked somewhere over 80. The twelve-year break could’ve had an even more detrimental impact on his golf. Worse still, the 38-year-old could’ve lost the passion. But Kim didn’t. 

“I would be lying to say that I didn’t have certain expectations. I thought I would shoot around par. It was unfortunate that I made so many unforced errors from the middle of the fairway. That’s generally my strength is my iron game. To make so many unforced errors is really disappointing.” Anthony Kim spoke with his characteristic frankness after the first round. 

Greg Norman explained in the TV broadcast that he told the three-time PGA Tour winner to “get on that driving range here and get in the middle and listen to DJ [Dustin Johnson] hit, listen to Jon Rahm hit, listen to Brooks [Koepka] hit. The sound is different, and that sound is going to get you… I said, ‘That’ll ignite your senses again and get all those sensory overloads back into equilibrium.’”

It would take some time for the “unforced errors” to give way to calculated risks. There are a few things he needs to adapt to. In fact, Tiger Woods, making a comeback at the Hero World Challenge, offered some insights into that. Game time is vastly different, said the 15-time Major winner. Kim, who had been practicing with amateurs before, needs to adapt his game to the elite level, as he certainly showed that he was hungry to reach there.

But how much time will Kim need?

Perhaps that is the biggest question hanging off everyone’s tongue. How long? How long before Anthony Kim goes back to being the ‘AK’ that he was? Amidst two hapless rounds, one positive outlier, Kim, has maintained the driving speed. Just that the game has moved on quite fast. 

Kim’s average ball speed of 170 mph was above the Tour average in 2011. The former PGA Tour pro was hitting around that same range at LIV Golf Jeddah as well. However, that was lacking per 2024 standards. 

How long it will take Kim to get back to the top level is anyone’s guess. Golf fans and perhaps the Great White Shark, too, have entirely banked on his goodwill and his previous reputation. And, of course, on some precedence in history.

Tiger Woods, once ruled out of contention by a large populace, made a roaring comeback in 2019. That ‘return to glory’ at Augusta National was perhaps on the offing considering the form the veteran golfer showed in 2018. Nevertheless, what Woods, and indeed the likes of Will Zalatoris, Daniel Berger, and Gary Woodland show, is that a long break from the game leaves its residue. 

Zalatoris was way off the mark when he teed up at the Hero World Challenge. So was Woods. What Woods was missing in the Bahamas was sound judgment. Look and feel, he would again say in Riviera a few months later, is what he banks on inside the greens. That familiarity was gone for Woods. What about Kim? Likely, the grass and the competitive surroundings feel a little stranger after a decade. 

Read More: Anthony Kim Rebranding Steered Greg Norman Clear From Jay Monahan’s Biggest Headache

Let’s also not forget that he hasn’t told his story yet. Kim said he is focusing on golf as of now. But Norman hinted that there might be more injuries that held him back. So, Kim remains an enigma. Only this time, golf fans will be able to watch him progress on the greens. Day by day. Event by event. Take one look at social media, and you’ll notice the number of people waking up at dead midnight or wee hours to catch a glimpse of Kim’s maiden appearance. Kim and everything surrounding him are the zone of interest. Norman knows that too well.