LIV Golf Jeddah R1: Anthony Kim dead last as Jon Rahm hits the front
Anthony Kim returns a disappointing 76 in the first round of LIV Golf Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Kim carded a lacklustre round of 6-over 76 on his first competitive round back in 12 years on day one of LIV Golf Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Kim, 38, was announced earlier this week as LIV Golf's latest signing for an undisclosed fee.
The three-time PGA Tour winner and former US Ryder Cup star has been handed a permanent wildcard exemption into the remaining events of the LIV Golf League season for 2024.
But as many golf fans expected, Kim, who asked for a mulligan with his opening tee shot during the Pro-Am, was more than a bit rusty in his first-ever round as a LIV Golf player.
Kim started on the par-5 18th in the shotgun start and got off to a torrid start when topping his second shot.
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman came down hard on Kim after hearing his excuse.
He strung together four pars from there to settle into the round, but then disaster struck on the par-4 5th as Kim shanked his ball out the rough.
To his credit, Kim did hole a 25-footer for bogey.
Kim bounced back with a birdie on the par-4 6th, but it would be his only birdie of the round.
He rattled off three straight bogeys from the 7th and added two more coming home on the 12th and 15th for a disappointing opening round of 6-over 76.
It left Kim 54th out of 54 in the field and two strokes behind 53rd-placed Bubba Watson.
After the round, Kim said: "Obviously disappointed with the score but I played so much better than the score. I've got a lot to build on. Made a lot of unforced errors. That's unfortunate. But I feel like I'm not that far away."
At the top of the board, LIV Golf's biggest money signing to date in Jon Rahm showed his class as he surged to the front with an exceptional 8-under 62.
Rahm's round was matched by European Ryder Cup reject Adrian Meronk, who also joined LIV Golf this season.
Bryson DeChambeau, Charl Schwartzel and recent Mayakoba winner Joaquin Niemann, who last week earned a special invite into The Masters this April, are tucked in just one shot behind the leaders on 7-under par.
Talor Gooch finds himself just three shots off the pace on 5-under par.
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