The Band-Aid has been ripped off.
Anthony Kim made his return to the professional golf world Friday, firing a 6-over 76 in the first round of LIV Golf Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia. Kim carded only one birdie during the first round and had seven bogeys, and he sits dead last in the 54-man field.
But, is that even a bad score? Kim hasn’t played a competitive round, let alone been seen in the public eye, in nearly 12 years. There was always going to be some competitive rust (see his shank on the fifth hole) and first-tee jitters he had to get over before we saw what he really had left in the tank.
Photos: Anthony Kim at LIV Golf Jeddah
However, as social media often does, there was no shortage of reactions to his debut Friday morning. Here’s what folks had to say about Kim’s return, and there were mixed reviews:
Me, smug, 24 hours ago, holding glass of champagne: “Anthony Kim won’t break 77.”
Me, this morning, waking up: Jaw on floor, pick up and drop nine consecutive glasses, they shatter everywhere. “Oh no. Oh god no.”
— Shane Ryan (Trustworthy) (@ShaneRyanHere) March 1, 2024
Greg Norman says LIV reached out to Anthony Kim 2 years ago.
“We reached out to him early on but it wasn’t the right time for him. Whatever happens today doesn’t matter. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”
It’s obvious that Greg had a huge part to play… pic.twitter.com/zYsSjAr0me
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) March 1, 2024
Feels like everything that could have gone wrong did with the Anthony Kim comeback. No interview while interest was highest. The “hello, haters” thing was weird (rest of the video was great). He debuts in the middle of the US night. Shank. Didn’t play well. Splat (so far).
— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) March 1, 2024
Honestly this is one of the reasons I thought it was smart for him to debut in Jeddah. Smaller crowds, can ease into things. And if he plays well here or in Hong Kong, ton of anticipation coming back to the U.S. https://t.co/S8nrAPIl6I
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) March 1, 2024
Jerry Foltz after Anthony Kim wraps up his opening 76: “There are experts out there who said he couldn’t break 80!” LOL what world do these guys live in where all these AK HATERS exist?
— Alex Myers…
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