After 11 years, 9 months, and 11 days, the renowned yeti of the golf world has made his return! Anthony Kim clinched the third victory of his career at the 2010 Shell Houston Open. Kim last played a round of professional golf in 2012. Now, he will be entering as a wild card into the breakaway circuit for the upcoming game at LIV Golf Jeddah after accepting the rumored $7.5 million deal.
As a second wild card of the 2024 season, along with Hudson Swafford, Kim is not a part of any teams. However, depending on his performance, he may become a frat player. However, fret not; even though he does not have a team yet, Kim will be accompanied by his ‘wolf pack’ member, Ryan Todey, for the first competitive round at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
The age-old friendship of Anthony Kim and Ryan Todey
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Just like the best of friendship goes, keeping track of when and how Anthony Kim and Ryan Todey met would be a little fruitless. Regardless of their ‘how we met each other’ story being hidden behind closed doors, Kim and Todey have known each other for more than two decades. When Kim started on the PGA Tour in 2006, nearly two years later, Todey was on his team.
At that time, the longtime friend was not his looper but used to support him on and off the course and push him to do better. Todey was part of Kim’s wolf pack, which consisted of him and another friend, Stephen Ferguson. This wolf pack had faced various fun and challenging situations in life. In 2009, during the Presidents Cup, when a drunken controversy surrounded Kim, the pack helped him get back to becoming a better golfer.
In December of that year, Kim called back his Avengers, including his then-agent Chris Armstrong and caddie, Brodie Flanders, for a team meeting. It was a luxury trip to Aspen, Colo., via private jet, with a Chef and a massues. Todey and friends helped Kim reinvent his game and on-field persona. Moreover, in that same year, Kim bought a bachelor pad in Dallas for Ferguson, Todey, and Flander. It was worth around $2.3 million and spanned 10,000 sq. ft.
The effortless swing of @AnthonyKim_Golf 💪#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/zkp3MJEr7f
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 29, 2024
Since then, Kim has kept his one friend close, which is Todey and he will be caddying for him at LIV Golf Jeddah. The two were last seen together for a 2010 Sports Illustrated magazine shoot, where Kim pressed that golf for him was a team effort and thus, he kept his circle small and close to him. Other than carrying the bag for his long-time friend, Todey had been a golfer himself and now operates in the finance industry.
The personal life of Anthony Kim’s best friend, cum looper
Born and raised in Ventura, during his early days, Ryan Todey went to a Catholic school. He was later admitted to Saint Bonaventure High School in 1999. Todey graduated from high school in 2003 and, next year, joined UC Santa Barbara. At USBC, he graduated with a degree in geography. However, on the side, Todey relished his love for golf and became part of USBC’s Intercollegiate Division 1 Golf Team.
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So, the friendship of Kim and Todey was connected by their mutual passion for golf. However, for the better part of his life, Todey neither pursued geography nor golf. After graduating from the university in 2008, he started working as a sales associate for an automotive retail shop. Then, six years later, in 2014, Todey started his first loan advisor job.
In April 2015, he received his license for work in California and since then, he has been in the same field. Right now, he works as a mortgage loan advisor for Neo Loan Home. Aside from being an advisor, Todey has also partnered up with an alcohol brand, Black Market Spirit. Even with his busy lifestyle, Todey has spared time for his old-time friend.
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The two will soon be playing at the Royal Greens for the first time and this new chapter with golf may turn the tides differently than how it ended in 2012.