27 February 2024 , 07:00
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Tiger Woods once claimed he had never seen anyone play like Anthony Kim, with the former PGA Tour prodigy being the only golfer to swing every club with a choked-up grip.
In 2008, Woods commented on Kim's unique ability to control his golf clubs during a Nike golf clinic. Both Woods and Kim were signed to the company at the time as signature players before parting ways with the brand.
"He's the only player I've ever seen that actually plays pretty much the entire bag choked up. It does provide a lot of control; you don't hit the ball as far offline. You hit the ball very straight that way," said Woods.
"It's amazing that a lot of amateurs don't try and do that," Woods continued. "They like to grip the club like in baseball, with the pinky off the club because some pros have taught them that if you grip the very end of the club, you get more whip at the bottom."
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Kim explained his grip on the clubs came from learning the game from his father, like Woods. Kim's dad used clubs that were too heavy then, forcing him to grip down on the club to have a more consistent swing.
Kim has decided to return to professional golf after taking a 12-year break from the sport due to injuries, including surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. Following several withdrawals and tournament cuts, Kim's last professional game was in 2012 when he entered 10 competitions and managed to finish only two.
The 38-year-old golfer previously admitted to Woods being his golfing idol, like several other players. After becoming the first American to win two competitions in a year under the age of 25, Kim declared his appreciation for Woods and what he's done for the sport.
Anthony Kim wanted to become the next Tiger Woods"Coming from Los Angeles, and Tiger starting his career when I was thinking about being a golfer means he has affected my life so much," Kim said. "Golf wasn't cool before Tiger Woods, and I absolutely think there are things that he does that I try and copy. He was as nice a person as I have met, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, he continued. "Not just on the golf course but off it too, and I want to emulate him."
Kim will return to golf as the newest 2024 LIV Golf season member, the brand announced on social media. His first tournament is projected at LIV Jeddah, where a $25 million purse will see the event winner earn $4 million.
LIV CEO Greg Norman commented on Kim's return to golf and welcomed him to the brand while promoting his playstyle. Norman shared that it is an honor for the organization to allow Kim to become a star in the sport again.