Jay Monahan spoke with the media for the first time since August, and in addition to addressing the state of the PGA Tour and the ongoing negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the commissioner was asked about Anthony Kim, the three-time PGA Tour winner who recently joined LIV Golf after a 12-year hiatus from the game.
Kim, 38, was reportedly in discussions with both LIV and the PGA Tour in advance of his return to professional golf after injuries derailed his career and he disappeared from the public eye. His last PGA Tour start was the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship.
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On Tuesday, Monahan confirmed the reports of Kim’s communications with the PGA Tour, but noted that he did not speak directly with him in the process.
“I did not have direct conversations with Anthony,” Monahan said. “Members of our team did and they very clearly laid out what it would take for him to earn his way back to the PGA Tour. I’m glad he is healthy and well, and we wish him well.”
Kim is currently playing as a “wild card” on the Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour in the midst of the PGA Tour’s negotiations with the league’s backer, the PIF.
If he had chosen the PGA Tour route, Kim would have been eligible for certain events using his past-champion status, but sponsor’s exemptions would have been key additions to his possible schedule. To earn his PGA Tour card back, Kim would have needed to excel in the few events he could enter.
On LIV Golf, however, Kim is guaranteed starts in the remaining events for the 2024 season. So far, Kim finished in last place in his LIV debut in Jeddah and 50th in his second appearance in Hong Kong. He showed signs of progress with a 5-under 65 on the final day of the tournament.
“I would have liked to see him compete to make his way back to the Tour,” Monahan said. “But that's a decision he didn’t—obviously he made a different decision.
“He’s not a member of the PGA Tour, so I don’t have anything further to add.”
