PACIFIC PALISADES, Ca. — Anthony Kim’s improbable comeback victory at LIV Golf Adelaide this past weekend had golf fans feeling plenty nostalgic. Among them was 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, who was asked on Tuesday about what he made of Kim’s wild win and their relationship, which goes way back.
Woods did some A+ reminiscing.
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“This kid hit it so good,” said Woods, referring to the now 40-year-old golfer. “He was on an unbelievable run when he won at Charlotte, and we played each other — against each other at Congressional. He played unbelievable at the 2008 Ryder Cup. He had so much natural talent. He could hit any shot he wanted.”
“Charlotte” was in reference to Kim’s first PGA Tour victory, when he burst onto the scene with a five-shot win over Ben Curtis at the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow. Kim, then a 22-year-old in his second full season on the PGA Tour, won for a second time just four starts later at the AT&T National, becoming, at the time, the first American under the age of 25 to win in one year on the PGA Tour since Woods. A year later, in the same event, Kim played alongside Woods in the final round, and the GOAT got the best of him. Woods shot a Sunday 67 to secure his 68th career PGA Tour win, while Kim closed with a 71 to finish in solo third.
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As Woods mentioned, Kim’s launch into superstardom came at the 2008 Ryder Cup, where the rookie went 2-1-1 in his only appearance in the biennial event. Famously, Kim, in the first match out, beat Sergio Garcia so badly in Sunday singles that he didn’t realize he had ended the match, 5 and 4, on the 14th hole at Valhalla:
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Kim continued to ride the wave of success into 2009 and 2010, making the 2009 Presidents Cup team and going 3-1-0, winning the 2010 Shell Houston Open and finishing in solo third at the Masters the very next week. Unfortunately, that remains the best major finish of his career, and the Houston Open win remains his last PGA Tour victory.
Kim vanished from the sport in the late spring of 2012 after withdrawing from three consecutive events, including the site of two of his three tour wins, due to numerous injuries. He did not pop back up until 2024, making his return on the LIV Golf tour as a wild card. Then came the improbable comeback win this past Sunday at LIV Golf Adelaide.
“To see him struggle in life and didn’t really want to play golf, didn’t really want to be part of golf, and for him to come all the way back and for him to win and to be as devoted as he is to his family, it’s a story in which — you just have to wrap your heart around it because of the struggles,” said Woods, who is no stranger to injuries and off the course mishaps.
“We can all relate to struggles. We all struggle in life,” Woods added. “The longer it goes, the more tough times you’ve had. But for him to fight through it and for Anthony to get to where he’s gotten to, from the low that he was in, is something that, as I said, you have to just wrap your heart around it.”
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