Welcome to The Break, my twice-weekly newsletter where I look at the biggest stories in the game of golf, link out to some of our work here at Golf News Net and get ready for the week ahead.
AK is Back, Now What?
Anthony Kim came back to professional golf last week, starting a 10-event run through to the end of the LIV Golf regular season. He shot 76-76-74 at the LIV event in Saudi Arabia, finishing last by 11 shots among the 53 players to finish the tournament. He was 33 back of winner Joaquin Niemann, who won his second event in three tries this season on that circuit.
I don't think Kim's result was particularly shocking or unexpected. If anyone tries to do anything again that they were once great at for the first time in a dozen years, it's going to be rusty. Looking back on it, that's almost precisely the reason why Kim came back in King Abdullah Economic City -- with Hong Kong to follow -- as opposed to an American venue. It makes some sense to try to knock off the rust when Americans are generally sleeping.
However, I'm curious how long the runway is for his comeback to start to show signs of a return to some semblance of Tour-grade form. Is it three events? Maybe six? All 10? I really don't know -- either for myself or for anyone who might be watching and interested. Obviously finishing dead last for, say, five in a row is going to take any shine off the comeback. But throwing in some rounds in the 60s and not sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard could suggest better performances are on the horizon.
This is just my view, but it would be smarter for LIV to focus on the two players that have broken out in their league: Niemann and Talor Gooch. They're the two players that have been able to stomp their feet and look for more recognition because of their wins on LIV, compared to the Rahm's, DJ's and Koepka's of the world that had already done it enough times on the PGA Tour before changing sides. On a tour where maybe 10 guys out of 54 pose a consistent threat to win, harping in on the two who are seemingly growing most as players is a better idea.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour is in two places this week, with the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando and the Puerto Rico Open in, well, Puerto Rico.
2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational: Field | Rankings | Betting Odds | One and Done | Past Results | Cheat Sheet | Recent Form | Finish Database
2024 Puerto Rico Open: Field | Rankings | One and Done | Past Results | Cheat Sheet | Recent Form | Finish Database
Hannah Green Wins the Worlds
Hannah Green is one of the best players in the world, and she's starting to show it more often. With a three-birdie barrage to end the tournament, Green, who recently got married, pulled out a one-shot win at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.
It's her fourth win in her career and, most importantly, marks wins in consecutive seasons after a four-year wait was snapped last season. The Aussie smiled from ear to ear as the final putt from 30-feet to give her the win.
Green has all the talent in the world to be a top-ranked player, and she has the kind of engaging personality that sports fans want to see in their champions. It now seems like Green has learned who and what she needs to have around her to play her best more consistently, and knowing that is a lot of the battle when winning against the best of the world often happens are the smallest of margins.
"There's so many hard moments in golf," Green said. "Celine (Boutier, who finished second) played great today but she didn't end up with the trophy in her hands but she still should be proud of herself how she performed under the pressure. You have to take these highs when they come because it doesn't always come and golf can be a learning sport sometimes.
"I feel that's what I've been about the last couple years about having the right people around to support me. There's so many of us Aussies on tour now, it's nice that we get to travel together and have dinner, just have good friendship while we are out playing because some weeks can be better than others for sure."
In the Loop
- Austin Eckroat earned his first PGA Tour in a Monday finish at PGA National.
- Shinnecock Hills will host the 2036 US Opan and US Women's Open in consecutive weeks.
- Our golf travel website, GolfTripX, is back at GolfNewsNet.com!
