Returns LIV Golf and, without a doubt, there is one protagonist who stands out above all. It is none other than Anthony Kim. The recent winner in Adelaide returns to competition after lifting the title on Australian soil. The man of the moment has attended a press conference ahead of the start in Hong Kong.
The tournament is also played at the Hong Kong Golf Club and is one of the shortest courses of the year on the circuit. Undoubtedly, a factor to consider and one that suits the American perfectly.
Anthony Kim has earned the respect of rivals and friends. No one knows better than him what he has been through and the effort it takes to rise again. He has suffered numerous and complicated addictions that have made him hit rock bottom personally, and now he is finding new dependencies, healthier ones of course. There is one that has particularly thrilled him. The American acknowledges that he has found a new ‘addiction’ in seeing his daughter run onto the green to celebrate: “Now I think I’m addicted to that happening again.” He refers, of course, to that moment in Adelaide when his daughter invaded the green to celebrate with him. Selfishly — he admitted as much — it was one of the most special moments of his life. He has seen other players’ families run onto the green, even joked with DJ present at the press conference, but for AK it was very special: “Nothing is going to stop me from working to get back to that point,” he concluded. That phrase, coming from Kim, should be taken seriously.
Dustin Johnson, captain and privileged witness, acknowledges that he is “super proud” of all the work and everything he has been through, seeing him come out the other side and also doing it on a Sunday against guys like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
The other idea that Kim repeats, and which is already tattooed in his speech, is the “1% better every day.” He himself acknowledges that “it sounds cheesy,” but it is his leitmotif. He is not chasing results; he is chasing habits. He mentioned that in Riyadh he was already playing better than he felt, but he wasn’t holing enough. In Adelaide, he acknowledges that everything came together in the last nine holes. He was asked how far he is from 100% and made it clear that he cannot lose focus: “For me, I start at zero every day.” Zero every morning. Reset.
The detail that most reveals he is very serious came when he spoke about his rest. Two weeks away, a trip to Thailand with the family. Even so, he hasn’t just gone to enjoy life. The recipe for his new addiction requires consistency and a lot of work to be repeated: “I probably hit more balls in Thailand than I have all year.” Holidays, yes, but with the bucket by his side.
In parallel, Kim insists that he wants more than just titles. “My goals are bigger than winning a tournament,” he assured. He recounts that two years ago, when he joined LIV, he was “literally terrible,” and he doesn’t want to wake up thinking that what he experienced was a dream and acknowledges that his wife has been his main supporter: “If she weren’t here, it’s impossible that I would have come back. She convinced me that what I’m good at is golf and that I can make a difference in other people’s lives” and adds: “Seeing other people change to improve their lives and their family’s is one of the reasons I wanted to return to playing golf.”
