From ‘flat-out terrible’ to LIV Golf champion, Anthony Kim says his best is yet to come
The American’s win in Adelaide last month was his first for 16 years, he heads into Hong Kong with an unfamiliar feeling but no expectations
Anthony Kim joined LIV two years ago and by his own admission “was flat-out terrible”, now after winning in Adelaide he believes his best golf is in front of him.
Victory at the league’s second tournament of the year, where he fired a final round of nine-under-par to beat Jon Rahm by three shots, was not just notable for the emotion it elicited from across the sport, but also because it was so unexpected.
The American, who had been a wild card until joining Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces ahead of the event in Adelaide, needed to come through the promotions event last year just to earn another shot in the league.
And a tie for 22nd at the season-opener in Riyadh did little to hint at the performance in Australia. But he comes into LIV Golf Hong Kong this week carrying the “familiar and unfamiliar” feeling of being a champion for the first time in almost 16 years.
“I don’t think there was a moment where I started to think, I’m playing better than I was before,” Kim told reporters at Hong Kong Golf Club on Tuesday. “But I think not worrying about the results and just trying to get better every day, that process clicked at some point. I don’t know when that was.”
The last of Kim’s three PGA Tour titles as the Shell Houston Open in 2010, and his most recent triumph was met with congratulations from across golf and with many hailing it as one of sport’s great comeback stories.