By Joseph McBride
Former golfing prodigy Anthony Kim who was once dubbed the 'next Tiger Woods' is returning to the sport on March 1, after 12 years away from the game.
Kim will feature at LIV Golf's Jeddah event as a wildcard between March 1-3, after it was confirmed by Greg Norman, commissioner of the Saudi-backed golf organisation. "He oozes incredible talent. The world has seen it in the past and now it is an honour as Commissioner of LIV Golf to give the opportunity for this star to be reborn," Norman wrote on X.
"Welcome back and to the LIV Golf family mate. The golf world has missed you." Kim grew comparisons to Woods in the late 2000's, as his meteoric rise was something no one had seen since Tiger became the face of golf.
Woods was also an inspiration for Kim, although those dreams were later shattered after an Achilles injury in 2012 would halt his golf career for over a decade. Kim received an insurance payment after undergoing surgery, but in order to qualify for the financial benefits, he had to quit golf.
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The 2008 season was where things really peaked for Kim, winning two PGA Tour events and finishing tied-seventh in The Open Championship. Kim received a career-high ranking of World No. 6 in 2008, and almost achieved the biggest win of his career in 2010, finishing third in The Masters.
Kim wasn't even 25 when achieving a top-three finish, and after revealing his desire to become the next Woods, fans started to believe he was the real deal. "Coming from Los Angeles, and Tiger starting out his career when I was thinking about being a golfer, means he has affected my life so much," said Kim at the time.
""Golf wasn't cool before Tiger Woods and I absolutely think there are things that he does which I try to copy. He was as nice a person as I have met so I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, not just on the golf course but off it too and I want to emulate him."
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But injuries stood in the way, and an insurance payment of at least £7.9 million meant he couldn't compete professionally. The details of Kim's insurance policy have never been publicly released, but it's been widely believed that due to the terms of his agreement he would forfeit any financial gain if he chose to return to golf.
But at the age of 38 he's finally making a comeback, making it likely the terms of his insurance agreement have now expired leaving Kim free to play. LIV golf added two wildcard spots to all 2024 events to prepare for moments like this, giving golfers a chance on the new breakaway tour.
One wildcard spot has been handed to former PGA Tour member Hudson Swafford, who will play in every event this year. Kim will play in LIV Jeddah but future participation is yet to be confirmed.
