Anthony Kim - Gawd I miss this guy (THREADS MERGED)

[Chunkitgood]

Changes to the rules are always relevant until implemented and well hereafter, until they become the new normal at least.  It eludes me why people want to criticize other people for continuing to discuss distance related issues, or discuss anything else for that matter.  You’re not interested?  Don’t read the posts.

 

On the other hand, the idea that somebody was such a fan of Kim 15 years ago (for being brash?) that they get upset that he might be criticized now is also hard to fathom.  Was it really the belt buckles?

[wobgon]

53 minutes ago, Golfbit2X said:

I think you may have missed my point all together...

 

I think that the reason we have this thread is because most golfers agree that AK is better than your average PGA Tour player but definitely not good enough to be considered for a hall of fame career.

 

Nevertheless, when he was on his hot streak, he was able to collect 3 wins before 25, which led to being compared to Tiger since he  achieved a tiger-level milestone. 

 

He was also admired for his bravado and brashness as a first-timer during the 2008 Ryder Cup specifically asking to take on Sergio and backing it up by beating Sergio handily and achieving a 2-1-1 record. 

 

More importantly, he had a sustained 3 year period of success (3 wins as well as winning singles record from the Ryder and President's Cups) of the 6 year period when he was actively playing that I believe was only achieved by a handful of elite level PGA Tour players. 

 

Bottom line is that AK is a unique breed of a golfer who had better than average golf skills among his PGA Tour peers combined with the brashness and bravado that is rare in the sport of golf. 

 

The fact that he quit does not diminish his accomplishments. 

 

To put this another way, if Tiger was to quit tomorrow, will all his wins including the majors be diminished?

 

With this same line of logic, AK's disappearance / "de facto quitting" has no bearing on his achievements.

 

I can agree with a lot of what you say but the fact that he quit makes him low on the list of people I I'm inspired to see make a comeback.

[Golfbit2X]

29 minutes ago, wobgon said:

I can agree with a lot of what you say but the fact that he quit makes him low on the list of people I I'm inspired to see make a comeback.

I respect your take on the way AK quit/disappeared from the PGA Tour without even officially retiring or giving any official reasons for withdrawing.

 

I also think that most of us agree that it was disappointing for a player of his caliber to just drop off but given what he's done in the past, the potential for AK to spark another run no matter how improbable it is can be very tantalizing given his talent.  

 

Anyway, I don't think there is anyone else who had his elite level skills set in this current era that can match-up to his comeback story.

 

If I'm mistaken, please enlighten us. 

[GwrxMod]

AK threads merged - please stay on topic

[bscinstnct]

Now we got two tours, supposedly the most deep fields of elite talent ever

 

 

And it’s Anthony Kim who has merged threads 🤣

[Hawkeye77]

15 hours ago, Golfbit2X said:

I think you may have missed my point all together...

 

I think that the reason we have this thread is because most golfers agree that AK is better than your average PGA Tour player but definitely not good enough to be considered for a hall of fame career.  Why you feel compelled to basically troll what's been hashed and rehashed only you know.  But, "most golfers" probably don't agree that AK "is" better than your average PGA Tour player which suggests he is right now which is complete crap.  Was he once upon a time really good for a short period of time, sure as were many others.

 

Nevertheless, when he was on his hot streak, he was able to collect 3 wins before 25, which led to being compared to Tiger since he  achieved a tiger-level milestone.  Like many, those comparisons didn't last long and mean little unless time justifies them.  It doesn't, so it's irrelevant. 

 

He was also admired for his bravado and brashness as a first-timer during the 2008 Ryder Cup specifically asking to take on Sergio and backing it up by beating Sergio handily and achieving a 2-1-1 record.  Yep, he was fun during the Ryder Cup, so was Boo Weekly for about 15 seconds. 

 

More importantly, he had a sustained 3 year period of success (3 wins as well as winning singles record from the Ryder and President's Cups) of the 6 year period when he was actively playing that I believe was only achieved by a handful of elite level PGA Tour players. Handful of elite level, blah, blah.  He was "elite level" on occasion as have been many Tour players. 

 

Bottom line is that AK is a unique breed of a golfer who had better than average golf skills among his PGA Tour peers combined with the brashness and bravado that is rare in the sport of golf. Bravado again, lol, bravo.

 

The fact that he quit does not diminish his accomplishments. What he did is what he did.  But what he did isn't anything more than simply what he did.   

 

To put this another way, if Tiger was to quit tomorrow, will all his wins including the majors be diminished?  AK's wins aren't diminished by quitting, but he walked away, chose different path and has done nothing since leaving golf to justify the cult following he has somehow making him greater than what he was.  I didn't care about him when he played, so his leaving generated no sense of loss or sympathy for me, nor likely among "most golfers" - that said, no reason anyone can't enjoy him for whatever reason.  Enjoy.

 

With this same line of logic, AK's disappearance / "de facto quitting" has no bearing on his achievements.  There is no line of "logic", lol.   

 

 

Edited March 12 by Hawkeye77

[Hawkeye77]

9 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

Now we got two tours, supposedly the most deep fields of elite talent ever

 

 

And it’s Anthony Kim who has merged threads 🤣

Was mercifully away from golf news during the LIV Hong Kong event, lol.  Guy finishes 50th and people wet their pants because he's now had one decent round.  

 

Bring on The Masters!

[underwater]

That recent photo of recent World #1 Jon Rahm hitting the shot all by himself with nobody nearby to watch, speaks volumes about the All-Star studded LIV product.

 

I've watched a few hours of LIV so I can speak reasonably intelligently about the league in comparison to what golf once was and it's nothing more than a subsidized playday for the fancy players (and in many cases, the once fancy players (Westwood)).

[Titleist99]

15 hours ago, Chunkitgood said:

Changes to the rules are always relevant until implemented and well hereafter, until they become the new normal at least.  It eludes me why people want to criticize other people for continuing to discuss distance related issues, or discuss anything else for that matter.  You’re not interested?  Don’t read the posts.

 

On the other hand, the idea that somebody was such a fan of Kim 15 years ago (for being brash?) that they get upset that he might be criticized now is also hard to fathom.  Was it really the belt buckles?

100%. I find some of the AK fans a bit thin skinned. Is that irrational? I don't know.

[bscinstnct]

4 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

100%. I find some of the AK fans a bit thin skinned. Is that irrational? I don't know.

 

Who? Who talkin bad about AK?!

 

 

 

 

🤣🍻

Edited March 12 by bscinstnct

[Titleist99]

18 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

Was mercifully away from golf news during the LIV Hong Kong event, lol.  Guy finishes 50th and people wet their pants because he's now had one decent round.  

 

Bring on The Masters!

LOL!......Hate to see what'll happen if the guy top 10 it.

[Kai Slater]

I hope AK does well with his comeback!!!  I really missed him and I'm willing to bet that, after a few more rounds, he'll be dangerous once again.  Yeah

[idrive]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

  Guy finishes 50th and people wet their pants because he's now had one decent round.  

 

Bring on The Masters!

 

On an easy, short golf course.

[Golfbit2X]

First off, let me state that I am not a fan boy of AK.

 

My interest in AK's comeback attempt stems from my own personal experience as I've come back to playing again on a regular basis after a 29 year hiatus so his comeback attempt after 12 years in the wilderness resonates to me.

 

While I must admit that my skill level is light years away from AK's, I was fortunate to have attained a level of success from my comeback that was way beyond what I even dreamed could be possible. 

 

So what makes this so fascinating for me is that if someone like me can be successful again, what more for a better-than-average tour pro like AK to be able to pick up where he left off and start another improbable run assuming that he has not been physically diminished.

 

With that in mind, I'm giving AK a 51% chance of success that he will be able to do just that - another 3 year run with at least 3 wins.

 

On another note, I also understand why there's a lot of sarcasm being thrown around as people lack the personal experience or fail to appreciate the pursuit of excellence against what seems like odds stacked against him.

Edited March 12 by Golfbit2X

[Puttersaurus Rex]

1 hour ago, Golfbit2X said:

On another note, I also understand why there's a lot of sarcasm being thrown around as people lack the personal experience or fail to appreciate the pursuit of excellence against what seems like odds stacked against him.

The topic is about someone who gets paid millions to play golf.  

[Golfbit2X]

28 minutes ago, Puttersaurus Rex said:

The topic is about someone who gets paid millions to play golf.  

I agree but only to a certain extent. As I mentioned in my post earlier, it is more than that and to reduce it to just money is too simplistic, imho.

 

As a human being, the human element behind his quest including the unconfirmed challenges he endured/continues to endure that may include physical, mental, golf demons and other difficulties is what has riveted me in AK's journey to hopefully replicate the 3 year hot streak he had 12 years ago and achieve some measure of redemption.  

 

He has already shown a momentary glimmer of his former self w/ a 3rd round 5 under 65 in LIV HK but I suspect that the road may be long and difficult for him.

 

 

Edited March 12 by Golfbit2X

[Hawkeye77]

23 minutes ago, Golfbit2X said:

I agree but only to a certain extent. As I mentioned in my post earlier, it is more than that and to reduce it to just money is too simplistic, imho.

 

As a human being, the human element behind his quest including the unconfirmed challenges he endured/continues to endure that may include physical, mental, golf demons and other difficulties is what has riveted me in AK's journey to hopefully replicate the 3 year hot streak he had 12 years ago and achieve some measure of redemption.  

 

He has already shown a momentary glimmer of his former self w/ a 3rd round 5 under 65 in LIV HK but I suspect that the road may be long and difficult for him.

 

 

You do understand he’s already married?

[idrive]

2 hours ago, Golfbit2X said:

 

 

I'm giving AK a 51% chance of success that he will be able to do just that - another 3 year run with at least 3 wins.

 

Not a chance

 

AK, hopefully, will have some success with his comeback. Meaning he can have some, several top tens on liv.

 

However, he will never win on liv or again on the PGAT.

[wobgon]

1 hour ago, Puttersaurus Rex said:

The topic is about someone who gets paid millions to play golf.  

After walking away from an opportunity that millions of people would die for.....I used to love the guy but I cannot for the life of me understand why this would be the guy we would want to see make a come back or have the chance to make a comeback.....By the way, I have found that more times than not, when someone says they will tell their story later, later never comes.

[bscinstnct]

10 minutes ago, wobgon said:

After walking away from an opportunity that millions of people would die for.....I used to love the guy but I cannot for the life of me understand why this would be the guy we would want to see make a come back or have the chance to make a comeback.....By the way, I have found that more times than not, when someone says they will tell their story later, later never comes.

 

Yeah, the “we’ll talk about it later” thing usually doesn’t work out

 

 

 

🤣

Edited March 13 by bscinstnct

[Golfbit2X]

4 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

You do understand he’s already married?

I think that being married and raising a daughter is hopefully working in his favor now and that he's no longer the hard-partying lothario that he was.

 

One of the moments I remember about AK that added to his legend was a hilarious clip from the 2009 Presidents Cup, where Allenby complained to the press that AK was partying until the wee hours the night before their match but still beat Allenby handily - 5 & 3.

 

Here are some other moments that made him a really interesting golfer at the very least. 

 

That's why I gravitate towards less boring golfers like AK as well as other trailblazing golfers like John Daly and Bryson.

 

Imo, golf is an inherently boring sport compared to other sports/hobbies that I've played like tennis, basketball and fishing.

 

Bottomline is that I like to be entertained by golfers that transcend their sport and/or stand-out with their other-worldly skill-set, sustained success as well as bravado which I think AK did albeit for a short period of time.

Edited March 13 by Golfbit2X

[Golfbit2X]

47 minutes ago, idrive said:

 

Not a chance

 

AK, hopefully, will have some success with his comeback. Meaning he can have some, several top tens on liv.

 

However, he will never win on liv or again on the PGAT.

He's only in his early 30s so I give him a better chance than Tiger winning a major assuming he doesn't have any physical injuries that may deminish his skill.

[Puttersaurus Rex]

3 hours ago, Golfbit2X said:

First off, let me state that I am not a fan boy of AK.

 

[Golfbit2X]

45 minutes ago, wobgon said:

After walking away from an opportunity that millions of people would die for.....I used to love the guy but I cannot for the life of me understand why this would be the guy we would want to see make a come back or have the chance to make a comeback.....By the way, I have found that more times than not, when someone says they will tell their story later, later never comes.

I think I've seen this comment repeated by other posters as well. 

 

I'm intrigued by this question so maybe someone can identify another golfer who has the same or close to the bona fides of AK that would hypothetically make a comeback?

[Golfbit2X]

2 minutes ago, Puttersaurus Rex said:

 

Yes, I'm pretty sure as I haven't received my AK fanboy club card yet...😁

[dcmidnight]

8 hours ago, Golfbit2X said:

I think I've seen this comment repeated by other posters as well. 

 

I'm intrigued by this question so maybe someone can identify another golfer who has the same or close to the bona fides of AK that would hypothetically make a comeback?

 

ROFL - "bona fides" of AK? Guy won three times on tour and wore a big shiny belt buckle and people think Ben Hogan retired. You know how many guys win/flash on tour and then disappear? I'm absolutely not going to spend any time on this but my guess is - its a lot.

 

Enjoy him being back but for the life of me I dont understand how people make this kind of leap.

[notsohard]

And there you have it....Jay admitted to have spoken to AK about playing the PGAT.

[Hawkeye77]

10 hours ago, Golfbit2X said:

He's only in his early 30s so I give him a better chance than Tiger winning a major assuming he doesn't have any physical injuries that may deminish his skill.

 

All this AK trolling and you don't even know how old he is, lol.

 

Enough already.

[Golfbit2X]

4 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

 

ROFL - "bona fides" of AK? Guy won three times on tour and wore a big shiny belt buckle and people think Ben Hogan retired. You know how many guys win/flash on tour and then disappear? I'm absolutely not going to spend any time on this but my guess is - its a lot.

 

Enjoy him being back but for the life of me I dont understand how people make this kind of leap.

Chew on this.... AK had 2 before 23 and had 3 before 25 plus Ryder and Presidents Cup win records in successive years plus current Masters record for most Birdies.

 

Let's compare apples to apples and bring out the stats...who else is there that can match up to AK at this age when he racked up the accomplishments that I just mentioned?

 

Nobody comes close to that. This is just a fact. 

[Golfbit2X]

3 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

All this AK trolling and you don't even know how old he is, lol.

 

Enough already.

Ok, he's 38, my bad...so I'm off by a few years. 🫡 

 

I'm revising his chances then from 51% to 50.99% that he'll win 3 more...