In its current incarnation, LIV Golf doesn’t interest me or the vast majority of golf fans. Throw Anthony Kim into the mix? Suddenly, we’re having a whole different conversation.
Now that NBC Sports is reporting on it, the reality is really starting to hit. Big Belt Buckle AK is coming back at the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, which gets underway on Friday.
According to multiple sources, Anthony Kim will compete in next week's LIV Golf event in Saudi Arabia.https://t.co/cxAqtp3bvr
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) February 24, 2024
LIV’s wonky team format and the fact that Kim has been away from competitive golf for so long means he’s going to be a “wildcard player”, per NBC Sports. All that means is LIV can extend invitations to players who aren’t affiliated with their teams, and those players can compete as individuals.
Greg Norman doesn’t make LIV Golf cool. Big-name players like Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and many others who’ve moved away from the PGA Tour haven’t moved the needle in any significant fashion. The goofy-a** team names don’t help the cause. LIVers also can’t earn world ranking points at their no-cut, 54-hole tournaments.
Time will tell if Anthony Kim has a major impact on this fledgling-but-financially-inevitable circuit of professional golf, but at least for a week, I have a feeling LIV ratings are about to see a massive boost. Having written about Kim’s return at length last month, there’s not much else I can say. He hasn’t played a pro event in over a decade. However, Kim’s talent is immense. Injuries and a related insurance policy caused him to retire for a while. The hope is that professional golf can forge a mega tour alliance so that Kim and several other LIV superstars can compete together. It remains to be seen if the PGA Tour will extend Kim some sponsor-exemption invites. That’d be awesome.
Whatever the future of the game looks like, Anthony Kim being back has people other than me fired up.
Anthony Kim bringing back a BB designed belt buckle would go NUCLEAR, everybody stay calm, ITS HAPPENING! https://t.co/XLkwIaQaS5 pic.twitter.com/aT1rMDysln
— Akili (@DBTTofficial) February 24, 2024
This will certainly garner some eyeballs for at least a few events. It will be interesting to see what AK has in the tank.
A few weeks ago we dove into AK’s career including the highs and lows on the podcast. Listen here: https://t.co/81tCHRP4ru https://t.co/HduuiK2Wln
— Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) February 24, 2024
Here is a look back at Anthony Kim’s last victory at the 2010 Shell Houston Open.
It’s hard to believe that he is actually returning to professional golf next week. It’s gonna be awesome seeing this guy playing again. 👌🏻
— Tour Pro 🏌️♂️ (@OfficialTourPro) February 24, 2024
Anthony Kim could be back THIS WEEK at LIV Jeddah.
Will you be tuning in if he plays? pic.twitter.com/u2QrwWHezc
— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) February 24, 2024
Been judgemental of LIV in the past but have to say I'm really excited to see Anthony Kim play competitive professional golf again! Never thought I'd say them words ever again!
Going to have to tune in to see a couple of his shots
I'm so intrigued where he's at. Enigma
— Craig Thomson (@ThomsonGolf94) February 24, 2024
So Anthony Kim looks like he’s pegging it up next week. My question: how the #%€$ has he managed to practise without anyone seeing him? No videos. No pics. No rumours. Nothing. It’s like he’s Batman. pic.twitter.com/P3dkrkgz8A
— Bryce Ritchie (@BRitchieGolf) February 24, 2024
Anthony Kim ready to suit up for a Batplane ride to Jeddah pic.twitter.com/KtAxm3lrWn
— W (@ZitiDoggsGolf) February 24, 2024
If Anthony Kim goes low it will be the biggest story in golf this year. https://t.co/RfCUEiqAzV
— senseofreason (@_senseofreason) February 24, 2024
The return of Anthony Kim is going to be epic.
— Adam Shniderman (@adam_shniderman) February 24, 2024
Some people are making fun of this, but great job by LIV for this one! Anthony Kim is a legend in the golfing world and I can’t be the only one who wants to see him play again! https://t.co/TKInY26l1g
— 🐅🇺🇸TeamTiger🇺🇸🐅 (@deelan94361809) February 24, 2024
I feel like there’s a pretty good chance Anthony Kim doesn’t have anywhere near the game he once did. Maybe that’s guarding against getting my hopes up. You cover sports for long enough, and you have to remind yourself every year that the vast majority of things you actually want to happen never come to fruition. Then again, an Anthony Kim comeback is something that has united golf fans for years since we last saw the Sasquatch-esque former prodigy last compete on the PGA Tour in 2012.
Part of me feels like AK wouldn’t bother returning if he thought he was going to embarrass himself. Another part of me thinks he doesn’t give a sh*t about what anyone thinks, given the path he chose to walk away from the game so early in the first place.
Quite fitting that Kim is being designated as a “wildcard player” for his impending LIV Golf debut. There might not be a bigger wild card in the history of the sport than this guy.
Throwback to how pure Anthony Kim’s swing was 👌
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) February 24, 2024
