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

[Wasted_Talent]

I loved AK.  I also like hearing other players tell stories about AK.  

[PostandGhost]

Ya'll act like this guy was Barry Sanders leaving the game with gas in the tank.  This is going to make me sound like a hater, I've never understood the fascination with AK.  He wasn't some world beater, rather a golfer who had a few wins and became an answer to a trivia question about mosts birdies in a round at Augusta.  He was just an above average PGA player that definitely had game.  Colin Morikawa has had a 10x better start to his career compared to AK's, yet he doesn't get nearly the admiration that AK did/does.  i don't get it. 

[ahenderX]

Removed.

Edited January 27, 2023 by ahenderX

[ahenderX]

10 minutes ago, PostandGhost said:

Ya'll act like this guy was Barry Sanders leaving the game with gas in the tank.  This is going to make me sound like a hater, I've never understood the fascination with AK.  He wasn't some world beater, rather a golfer who had a few wins and became an answer to a trivia question about mosts birdies in a round at Augusta.  He was just an above average PGA player that definitely had game.  Colin Morikawa has had a 10x better start to his career compared to AK's, yet he doesn't get nearly the admiration that AK did/does.  i don't get it. 

His 11 birdies in the second round was fun to watch. 

[bscinstnct]

12 minutes ago, PostandGhost said:

Ya'll act like this guy was Barry Sanders leaving the game with gas in the tank.  This is going to make me sound like a hater, I've never understood the fascination with AK.  He wasn't some world beater, rather a golfer who had a few wins and became an answer to a trivia question about mosts birdies in a round at Augusta.  He was just an above average PGA player that definitely had game.  Colin Morikawa has had a 10x better start to his career compared to AK's, yet he doesn't get nearly the admiration that AK did/does.  i don't get it. 

 

Cause AK got style like Dumbledore yo!

 

 

[bellairemi]

I played with Anthony Kim during that summer of '06 here in Traverse City.  All I was told before we got to the course by my pro was that we were playing with Adam's new young gun.  Adam had said he was among the best ballstrikers he had seen.

 

I hit the range before the round and this very young guy looking pretty disheveled sidled up to the spot next to me.  First ball he hit I stopped what I was doing and watched.  Honestly I had never heard contact like that - like he was hitting a heavy ball.  I honestly don't think he missed during warmup.

 

We didn't really keep score during the round as I think Adam wanted a fun afternoon out for Anthony (who saw Adam as something of a father figure).  We did some fun bets on a few holes but mostly Adam had Anthony hit a variety of shots off the tee and into the greens (we were playing a Doak course so lots of different options).  It was a playing lesson for Anthony as much as anything.  He did hit a bunch of shots that I could only dream of executing.

 

Anythony was nice, pretty quiet and really just a kid.  I was sort of shocked that he was playing tour events within a few months after that round.  He really needed some stability and I cannot imagine travelling for the tour was healthy for him.

[Dutch1008]

32 minutes ago, PostandGhost said:

Ya'll act like this guy was Barry Sanders leaving the game with gas in the tank.  This is going to make me sound like a hater, I've never understood the fascination with AK.  He wasn't some world beater, rather a golfer who had a few wins and became an answer to a trivia question about mosts birdies in a round at Augusta.  He was just an above average PGA player that definitely had game.  Colin Morikawa has had a 10x better start to his career compared to AK's, yet he doesn't get nearly the admiration that AK did/does.  i don't get it. 

It's because he was brash, loud, and a walking highlight reel. While Colin is a golfing robot and I'm a huge Morikawa fan. I love watching a guy just tear up a course with his ball striking. But a good Morikawa round is basically a baby cut onto the fairway, followed by a baby cut onto the green, followed by a two putt. Rinse and repeat. AK may block one into the adjacent fairway followed by a banana cut driver off the deck into a par 5. 

 

AK reminds me of JR Smith. By all means just an above average shooting guard with a good but not great career. However, if you caught JR on the right night he may have dropped 40 on 8-10 shooting from 3 with two dunk contest quality slams. On JR's best days he was 1 part Steph Curry and 1 part Vince Carter. He never had the consistency to be an all timer but the talent was there and occasionally it would flash. AK was like 1 part Rickie (loud style, youthful enthusiasm), 1 part JT (could get super hot and just run off birdies) and one part Phil (trash talking and risk taking). Maybe he wasn't great, but damn was he fun. 

 

In general, I think golf would be a bit more exciting with a few more AKs and a few less Scottie Schefflers. Nothing against Scottie, he's just a bit boring.     

[One Putter]

57 minutes ago, PostandGhost said:

Ya'll act like this guy was Barry Sanders leaving the game with gas in the tank.  This is going to make me sound like a hater, I've never understood the fascination with AK.  He wasn't some world beater, rather a golfer who had a few wins and became an answer to a trivia question about mosts birdies in a round at Augusta.  He was just an above average PGA player that definitely had game.  Colin Morikawa has had a 10x better start to his career compared to AK's, yet he doesn't get nearly the admiration that AK did/does.  i don't get it. 

Yeah people are really pumping him up. He was great and i loved watching him, but the back injury he had would probably have nagged him his entire career, and i think he was smart to take the insurance payout. I don't think his career earnings and sponsorship money would have added up to as much.

 

In any event, i don't think he will be playing again. I'm pretty sure the insurance settlement bars him from playing professional golf in any form, be it PGAT,  DPWT, or any other form of "tour".

Edited January 27, 2023 by One Putter

[Dutch1008]

4 minutes ago, One Putter said:

Yeah people are really pumping him up. He was great and i loved watching him, but the back injury he had would probably have nagged him his entire career, and i think he was smart to take the insurance payout. I don't think his career earnings and sponsorship money would have added up to as much.

 

In any event, i don't think he will be playing again. I'm pretty sure the insurance settlement bars him from playing professional golf in any form, be it PGAT,  DPWT, or any other form of "tour".

I certainly can't speculate on the seriousness of the back injury. Maybe it really was something that would really restrict performance. However, assuming rehab was possible (Tiger, Couples, many others have overcome back problems) he could have made a lot more money than the reported $10-20M insurance policy. Kevin Na made over $37M on the tour. Charles Howell over $40M. Those numbers are pre-LIV. Neither we're as talented as AK. Kim won 3 times by the time he was 25. He was on the Ryder Cup at 22. He had a Nike deal! He could have and should have made a lot more than the insurance payout. 

 

Again, with the back injury nothing is guaranteed but I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that AK could have had a very similar playing and marketing career to Rickie Fowler. Rickie's made $40M on the course and was getting $10M / yr from Cobra/Rocket Mtg / State Farm. Maybe the injury was chronic or maybe he was simply burnt out, but AK almost definitely left a lot of money on the table.      

[One Putter]

8 minutes ago, Dutch1008 said:

I certainly can't speculate on the seriousness of the back injury. Maybe it really was something that would really restrict performance. However, assuming rehab was possible (Tiger, Couples, many others have overcome back problems) he could have made a lot more money than the reported $10-20M insurance policy. Kevin Na made over $37M on the tour. Charles Howell over $40M. Those numbers are pre-LIV. Neither we're as talented as AK. Kim won 3 times by the time he was 25. He was on the Ryder Cup at 22. He had a Nike deal! He could have and should have made a lot more than the insurance payout. 

 

Again, with the back injury nothing is guaranteed but I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that AK could have had a very similar playing and marketing career to Rickie Fowler. Rickie's made $40M on the course and was getting $10M / yr from Cobra/Rocket Mtg / State Farm. Maybe the injury was chronic or maybe he was simply burnt out, but AK almost definitely left a lot of money on the table.      

Oh dang, i thought the settlement was for $80m, or some such gigantic figure.

[NetBogey]

25 minutes ago, Dutch1008 said:

I certainly can't speculate on the seriousness of the back injury. Maybe it really was something that would really restrict performance. However, assuming rehab was possible (Tiger, Couples, many others have overcome back problems) he could have made a lot more money than the reported $10-20M insurance policy. Kevin Na made over $37M on the tour. Charles Howell over $40M. Those numbers are pre-LIV. Neither we're as talented as AK. Kim won 3 times by the time he was 25. He was on the Ryder Cup at 22. He had a Nike deal! He could have and should have made a lot more than the insurance payout. 

 

Again, with the back injury nothing is guaranteed but I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that AK could have had a very similar playing and marketing career to Rickie Fowler. Rickie's made $40M on the course and was getting $10M / yr from Cobra/Rocket Mtg / State Farm. Maybe the injury was chronic or maybe he was simply burnt out, but AK almost definitely left a lot of money on the table.      

I remember one article or something speculated it was more injuries than just back. If I’m recalling correctly he had a back issues, ligament issue in his hand and something with a foot or ankle. So he was a mess it sounded like. 
 

updating with an article about injuries. More than just a back. 
 

https://www.americangolf.co.uk/news/golf-news-anthony-kim-reveals-reason-behind-quitting-golf-in-first-interview-for-3-years.html

Edited January 27, 2023 by bryceyf

[mkidding]

I hope he make a good come back, win a (some) major(s), and let's see what LIV has to offer 😆

[ahenderX]

32 minutes ago, Dutch1008 said:

I certainly can't speculate on the seriousness of the back injury. Maybe it really was something that would really restrict performance. However, assuming rehab was possible (Tiger, Couples, many others have overcome back problems) he could have made a lot more money than the reported $10-20M insurance policy. Kevin Na made over $37M on the tour. Charles Howell over $40M. Those numbers are pre-LIV. Neither we're as talented as AK. Kim won 3 times by the time he was 25. He was on the Ryder Cup at 22. He had a Nike deal! He could have and should have made a lot more than the insurance payout. 

 

Again, with the back injury nothing is guaranteed but I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that AK could have had a very similar playing and marketing career to Rickie Fowler. Rickie's made $40M on the course and was getting $10M / yr from Cobra/Rocket Mtg / State Farm. Maybe the injury was chronic or maybe he was simply burnt out, but AK almost definitely left a lot of money on the table.      

Kim’s 2012 surgery was for an Achilles injury. Not seeing anything referring to a back injury. He had thumb surgery in 2010.

[aenemated]

The weird obsession with AK is like the weird reverence of Kurt Cobain. It only exists because he split before he got boring. 

 

Which is kinda boss in a way. 

[AzRoger]

AK had the 'it' thing for the short time he was around, cocky but could back it up, not many tour players have it. My guess is he felt he couldn't sustain it, probably enjoyed the night life too much and not willing to put the work in that was required to stay there, so took the easy way out.

[mwkbmw]

On 1/26/2023 at 1:34 PM, McScoots said:

I too miss watching a player hit unfathomable blocks right

McScoots, meet Jordan Spieth.

[dab36]

I agree that we romanticize the past a bit regarding Kim. Golf fans were waiting for the potential to play out and it didn't, "what coulda been sort of thing."    I remember thinking while watching him play on tv, that I had never seen someone so close to pins on consecutive holes, I cannot remember which tourney.  Soon after I was at Phx Open near the practice green feet from him,  he and his caddie were talking blatantly about their previous night's "libatious" and social escapades.  I was kinda shocked he didn't care who was around.  He went out that day in what looked like hangover condition pin hunting like no one I have seen at the open.  Golf gets so sleepy and now with this grown up old man drama between liv and pga, a comeback story would be a great boost, let's face it, it is entertainment, that's all.   

[bscinstnct]

17 hours ago, AzRoger said:

AK had the 'it' thing for the short time he was around, cocky but could back it up, not many tour players have it. My guess is he felt he couldn't sustain it, probably enjoyed the night life too much and not willing to put the work in that was required to stay there, so took the easy way out.

 

AK do stuff like

 

Rory McIlroy recalls the day Anthony Kim made 11 birdies at Augusta

 

Did he have an explanation for his explosive play? Kim said he had read a story earlier in the morning about Nick Adenhart, a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels who had been killed in a car crash two days earlier. Adenhart was just 22.

 

“(The story) helped my golf game,” Kim said. “Put everything into perspective. This has been a dream for a long time, so I wanted to just enjoy walking down these fairways.”

 

Kim shot 72-74 on the weekend to finish T-20. The next year, he returned to close with another 65 that got him third place. The next year, it was 73-73 to miss the cut.

 

But there have been no visits since. No one would have thought it at the time, but barring a comeback of epic proportions, Kim at 25 was making his last Masters appearance.

 

“It was,” McIlroy said, “impressive stuff.”

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2016/04/06/2016-masters-rory-mcilroy-anthony-kim-11-birdies-2009-masters/

 

 

 

 

[KimmerBH]

People are fascinated with AK because he could've been great. REALYY great. Kid had ridiculous natural talent and unlimited potential but he left just when it seemed like he was beginning. 

 

This comeback stuff is just wishful thinking. Yes, I'd also love to see him come back but it's not happening imo. It's kind of crazy that in all these years there hasn't been a single video of him at a local range or playing at some random course. I'd love to see that.

[8602081]

I think it's because he's still young (37).. If he really wanted to make a comeback, he can.

 

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

[Fairways_and_Greens]

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

[NetBogey]

Another revival of the AK conspiracies. For the people who don’t enjoy the AK topic, it is just fine moving along and not commenting! 
 

The account who posted this is in the business of jokes, but dang I could only hope to see AK play again! 
 

 

[monty09]

On 1/26/2023 at 4:22 PM, caniac6 said:

Who knows if he’s even good enough to play anymore.

likely not

[PedronNiall]

With cameras everywhere and social media always ready to devour anyone in the public eye for a misstep, there's no way someone as brash & flashy as AK pops up again. Discussed in other threads, but we're not likely to see anything but relatively even keeled personalities on display for the foreseeable future. Guy was absolutely great to watch when he was getting it done and he brought out some good energy from players who were often a lot more reserved when the cameras were on. 

 

He definitely saw the game a little differently than others and his perspective helps explain why he was a bit more streaky.

 

 

[pingbling23]

We may get to see him tee it up for LIV.  We have no idea what his game is like these days but could make for a great story.  

[MaineMariner]

25 minutes ago, pingbling23 said:

We may get to see him tee it up for LIV.  We have no idea what his game is like these days but could make for a great story.  

 

Signing a guy that hasn't played professional golf in TWELVE years would be... quite the publicity stunt, I've gotta say. 

 

Doesn't do much for the idea that LIV is a serious golf league, but definitely makes headlines. We'll see what LIV finds more important.

[jdl]

 

[Holy Moses]

11 minutes ago, MaineMariner said:

 

Signing a guy that hasn't played professional golf in TWELVE years would be... quite the publicity stunt, I've gotta say. 

 

Doesn't do much for the idea that LIV is a serious golf league, but definitely makes headlines. We'll see what LIV finds more important.

Pretty much everything about LIV is publicity, so this would fit in

[woahnelly]

7 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

Pretty much everything about LIV is publicity, so this would fit in

 

Can't be worse than Sihwan Kim was, can he ?