His first five rounds on LIV Golf did not impress many golf fans.
Anthony Kim shines at LIV Golf Hong Kong with epic round to change narrative
Anthony Kim recorded the best round of his LIV Golf career in Hong Kong, proving that he still has some left in the tank.
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
Despite that, Anthony Kim had shown some flashes of brilliance, like making 11 pars in a row during his second round in Saudi Arabia.
But he had yet to do anything close to what he accomplished on Sunday in Hong Kong. Not only did Kim record his first under-par score on LIV, he shot one of the lowest rounds of the day: a 5-under 65.
“I just kept doing what I’ve been working on the last two months. Obviously, being away from the game for so long, it’s been tough to practice and get all the things that I need to get prepared for the tournament, but I’m working on the right things at the moment,” Kim said after his round.
“I’m enjoying my time with my family. The LIV Golf experience has been amazing. I’m just thankful.”
Before this season, Kim had not played professionally since 2012.
He returned to professional competition at LIV Golf — Jeddah last week, opening with two rounds of 6-over 76. He then fired a 4-over 74 in the final round.
This week, in Hong Kong, Kim struggled out of the gates once more. He carded a 6-over 76 on Friday but bounced back somewhat on Saturday with a 2-over 72.
Yet, on Sunday, he looked like a top-tier professional, waltzing around Hong Kong Golf Club.
Having started on the 15th, Kim opened with two birdies over his first four holes. A bogey at the first briefly stalled his momentum, but then he made two more par-breakers at the par-5 3rd and par-4 6th.
He then made a bogey at the 9th but rattled off three straight birdies on holes 11 through 13 to reach 5-under for the day.
Kim finished at 3-over for the championship, slotting him in 50th place.
“I’m very proud. Coming from where I came from over the last 10, 12 years, I’m just very grateful for this opportunity,” Kim said.
“Every step I walk, I feel blessed. So, no matter what I shoot, I feel like I’ve won. I never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but I’m trying to play this game with a lot of gratitude and live my life the same way.”
After not finishing last on the leaderboard, Kim will leave Hong Kong with plenty of confidence. Perhaps he can build on that next week at the International Series Macau on the Asian Tour.
“Definitely feeling a lot better about my golf game,” Kim added.
“Golf isn’t as important as living the right way, and I’m focused on my family and doing the right things. Golf will come, and it’s just a matter of time.”
Better golf days may be ahead for the three-time PGA Tour winner, but his expectations have never left him.
“My expectations are always high, and that’s not always a great thing because it’s easy to get down on yourself, and after last week, I was very disappointed,” Kim said.
“But I knew I just needed to keep plugging along. I have some great support behind me, and it feels really good to put up a good round.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
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