LIV Golf: Anthony Kim returns with shank, higher than anticipated spherical

Anthony Kim final hit a golf shot in the course of the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, the place he withdrew after opening with a 2-over 74.

Practically a dozen years later, Kim, who has three PGA Tour victories, started his LIV Golf profession at Royal Greens Golf & Nation Membership in Saudi Arabia.

He shot a 76 on the par-70 structure, which isn’t a poor rating given his prolonged absence from the sport.

“Clearly dissatisfied with the rating, however I performed significantly better than the rating,” Kim mentioned after his spherical.

“I’ve acquired quite a bit to construct on. Simply made loads of unforced errors, and that was unlucky, however I really feel like I’m not that far-off.”

Picture by Francois Nel/Getty Photographs

Take into account this: Will Zalatoris underwent again surgical procedure final April and missed the subsequent seven months. In his first spherical again on the Hero World Problem in December, Zalatoris shot a 9-over 81. He sorely struggled, emphasizing that getting again into the swing of issues is simpler mentioned than completed.

Therefore, many pundits figured Kim wouldn’t break 80 in his LIV Golf debut on Friday.

In any case, no one had seen his sport since earlier than Lebron James received his first NBA title with the Miami Warmth.

Nonetheless, Kim’s opening spherical did include a good dose of struggles.

On the 427-yard par-4 fifth, Kim hit a cold-blooded shank from simply off the green.

That led to his second bogey of the day, however Kim bounced again with a birdie on the subsequent gap, the lengthy par-4 sixth. He rolled in a 25-footer.

Kim then made 5 extra bogeys to complete his spherical, as he sits in 54th—useless final—by way of 18 holes of play.

“When he begins feeling comfy with himself, he’ll be oozing the expertise, and it’s going to start out flooding for him,” mentioned LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman on the printed.

“No matter occurs right this moment does not likely matter. I mentioned to him on the primary tee, ‘The journey of 1 thousand miles begins with a single step.’ And that first step is his first swing [Friday].”

Certainly, Kim has a protracted method to go till he finds himself in competition once more. In any case, he sits 14 photographs off the tempo after spherical one. Jon Rahm and Adrian Meronk lead at 8-under, after capturing opening rounds of 62.

However Kim mentioned afterward that he anticipated to shoot round even par. He felt that unforced errors together with his irons led to his opening 76, a rating that’s “actually disappointing.”

And but, Kim mustn’t get too down on himself. His spherical ought to impress golf followers as a result of most individuals figured he would do a lot worse.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.