Anthony Kim’s first professional golf appearance in more than a decade went as well as many would have expected with the American finishing last at the LIV tournament in Jeddah.
Kim, who was once ranked No 6 in the world, disappeared from the game before he turned 30 but is attempting a return with LIV Golf. His round of 74 on Sunday included two birdies and was his best of the tournament, but he still finished 32 strokes behind the winner, Joaquin Niemann.
“Obviously it was a rough week,” Kim said after Sunday’s round. “I’m excited to be playing professional golf again, and I feel pretty blessed I have this opportunity.”
The 38-year-old signed a wildcard deal with LIV, meaning he is not part of any of the teams that compete on the tour. But LIV’s no-cut format means he is guaranteed a payday, and will play in next week’s tournament in Hong Kong before returning to the US for his first professional tournament on home soil since 2012.
“I’m definitely hitting the ball well,” Kim said, “doing lot of things well. I know scores don’t reflect that.”
Niemann received $4m for his victory, and took a dig at the world rankings in his interview with LIV’s broadcast team. He was asked if he was one of the leading favorites to win a major this year.
“How is that possible? I’m like 100 in the world,” Niemann said with a grin.
Niemann is No 72 in the world. The Official World Golf Ranking, in a vote cast by the organizations that run the majors, chose not to award LIV ranking points because of the small field (54 players) that functions as a closed shop with no qualifying.
