19th Hole

Addiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty

Published

4 months ago

Apr 2, 2024

Anthony Kim’s comeback to the game of golf has been one of the biggest stories in the sport in 2024. Now the 38-year-old has explained why he walked away from the game 12 years ago in a candid interview with David Feherty.

We’ve detailed much of what Kim revealed below, but you can check out the full interview here.

Where did Kim disappear to when he walked away?

“I really didn’t leave the house. I watched a lot of reality TV and ate a lot of food. And really just hung out with my animals and occasionally had a good time.”

On his multiple surgeries

“I know public opinion was that I took this money and ran and decided I was going to hang out but that wasn’t the case at all. I had multiple, multiple surgeries in a few years and my body still isn’t what it used to be.

“I’ve had multiple shoulder surgeries. Hand surgery. Spinal fusion. I’ve had a lot of injuries and a lot of surgeries.”

Interest from the PGA Tour?

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any interest. They did reach out about the possibility of me playing on the PGA Tour again, and I weighed up both options, and through all these experiences I’ve learned that as much as you try to make good decisions in your life, you still need to remain true to who you are, and that’s something that’s actually helping me in my golf game. Because I took some risks that were unnecessary before and now, I’m a little bit more calculated, and I’m going to keep taking risks as I go along.”

His expectations for 2024

“That’s a tough question because obviously, I’ve played at a high level before, but at the same time I understand that I’ve taken 12 years away from the game, and obviously there’s lots of opinions about whether I’ve played lots of golf or not, and the honest answer is no I have not played any golf until about two and a half months or three months ago when I got the call from Greg about possibly playing again.

“I wasn’t even considering playing golf, so my expectations are to just take it day by day, work hard, and see where that gets me because the guys are getting better and I’ve been away for a long time, so there’s a lot of rust, but I feel I’m able to compete if I just keep working on the right things.”

Did he watch golf in his time away?

“I have an interesting relationship with golf. I don’t think I ever loved it. What’s very weird to me now is that I’m falling in love with the game. That’s such a weird spot for me because golf was filled with pressure and lots of different emotions for me because my family had to go through a lot to give me this opportunity to play golf. So with that added pressure, I was willing to risk a lot more, that was my nature. I was aggressive on the golf course, aggressive off the golf course and that led to my demise.”

On battling his demons

“I had no self-worth until I became a father….I started turning my life around about a year and a half ago.”

On becoming a father

“She’s my everything. Obviously my relationship with my wife is unbelievable, can’t thank her enough and owe so much to her. But a lot of the inspiration comes from Bella (daughter), I feel so blessed to be a dad, I wasn’t expecting to be able to have a child.

“I lost faith in myself, on top of that the doctors said I wouldn’t be able to have a child because of all the things my body has been through. That was very disappointing, that made me feel even smaller than I had felt originally. But this blessing happened and now I’m getting to experience this.”

On his first tee shot back

“It felt different. I actually put a ‘B’ on my ball with a heart around it for Bella. When I look down it actually calms me down. I thought I would be a little more nervous than I was because it’s a completely different atmosphere and I’m playing clear-minded, but didn’t have as many nerves as I thought and I hit a good one.”

On ‘good times’ in early career

“That’s a tough question because I thought I was having a great time. And I don’t remember any of those times. And when I say that I literally don’t remember any of those times because you figure at 22, 24 years old you’re supposed to be doing those things and it’s okay. But with the personality I have, which is an addictive personality, it can get out of hand.

“Unfortunately I was around people that enjoyed the same things and maybe didn’t have the same opportunities as I did. And the same responsibilities honestly.”

On dropping his old friends

“I have probably shed 98 percent of the people who were around me. I was around some bad people. People that took advantage of me, scam artists. And when you’re 24 or 25, even 30 years old, you don’t realize the snakes that are living under your roof.

“But through the grace of God, I’m here. I’m able to tell my story, hopefully inspire other people and, again, my daughter’s going to be proud of me no matter how I play and that’s the most important thing to me.”

On upcoming documentary

“There’s a lot of layers to it. It’s been on my mind for a long time. I feel like I have an amazing platform and opportunity, especially with LIV to be able to share my story. And I think it’ll benefit a lot of people. I’ve had some very low points in my life. I’ve experienced some pretty traumatic things and I hope I can inspire someone to dig out of a hole that maybe they don’t see a light at the end of a tunnel and ultimately they find some strength in the people around them, and self-belief that they can get out of it.”

Who helped him to turn his life around?

“Obviously my wife and my mother are inspirations for me. It would have been easy for either of them to turn their back on me, but the ultimate inspiration is my daughter. When I had her my life completely changed, and no matter how I do at golf, it doesn’t matter.

“Obviously through this platform at LIV she’s getting to see the world and that’s my dream for her. I want her to be happy, experience the world and live a life where she feels loved and cared for.”

Can he reach the top level again?

“I believe absolutely I can do it at that level again. I’m prepared more than ever for success. I don’t think in my first career…I didn’t know what to expect. It was my mistakes that were the reason I fell down…this deep hole. Having better people around this time around definitely helps.”

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19th Hole

Popular former champ reveals why the 2025 Open Championship may be his last

Published

12 hours ago

Jul 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The Open Championship did not disappoint, as both Royal Troon and Xander Schauffele starred in the 152nd edition of the event, with the now two-time major champion pulling away on the back nine.

The Open is a tournament that hosts so many legends of the game, including past champions such as Darren Clarke. After the tournament, Clarke told the Belfast Telegraph that next year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush may be his last.

“Yes, I made the cut here [at Royal Troon], and if I make the cut in Portrush, it will be great and all that sort of stuff, but I’ve got my name on the Jug, and I have my name on the Senior Jug, and I would feel bad taking the spot away from a young kid.

“I was a young kid once, so to take a spot away from a young kid who may fulfil his dream of playing the Championship, sure, I’ve done mine. I don’t know what I will do.”

Clarke fared well at Royal Troon, making the cut and finishing in a tie for 75th.

The Irishman is 55 years of age and is exempt in The Open until age 60 as a result of his 2011 win at Royal St. George’s.

“Royal Portrush, as we all know, is very special,” he added. “The guys all loved it the last time we were there.

“But I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot. I’m 55 now, and I’ll be 56 next year for the Open at Portrush and it may be my last one and thank you very much, that’s enough for me and I can give some young kid an opportunity that I had whenever I was starting off.

“We’ll see, but I am certainly looking forward to being back in Portrush.”

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19th Hole

Billy Horschel hits back at critic over ‘fake and inauthentic’ claim

Published

12 hours ago

Jul 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Billy Horschel took his first ever 54-hole lead at a major into the final round of The Open Championship. Despite playing fairly well, Billy wasn’t able to get it done as Xander Schauffele put forth an incredible back-nine to secure his second major championship of the season.

After the round was over, an X user called “Pro Golf Critic” posted about Horschel, calling him “fake and inauthentic”.

I think he’s fake & inauthentic and outside of owning that, nothing will make me like him.

— Pro Golf Critic (@ProGolfCritic) July 20, 2024

Horschel then replied to the tweet.

I haven’t replied to any one your tweets about me over the past year because I felt no need to. But I am now. Feel free to ask around about me. One thing I willing to bet you won’t hear is that I’m fake or not authentic.

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) July 21, 2024

“I haven’t replied to any one your tweets about me over the past year because I felt no need to. But I am now. Feel free to ask around about me. One thing I willing to bet you won’t hear is that I’m fake or not authentic.”

The user then asked Horschel to meet him at this week’s LIV event, but the 37-year-old declined as he is playing in this week’s 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.

I think that you are and there’s no info I have to say otherwise. Happy to listen to dissenting opinions if you think that will balance things out. ?????
Why don’t you come to JCB this week and we can have a chat. I’m always up for a conversation.

— Pro Golf Critic (@ProGolfCritic) July 21, 2024

Thanks but I’m playing @3MOpen. Sad that you could hear the truth from first hand accounts and you still would have the wrong opinion. That’s fine. Realized a long time ago can’t change everyone’s opinion. Have a great time at the LIV event.

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) July 21, 2024

Horschel will look to build off of the best major performance of his career going forward.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 3M Open betting preview: Top amateur ready to rule at TPC Twin Cities

Published

12 hours ago

Jul 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The golf world was treated to an exciting major championship as Xander Schauffele won the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon, his second major of the season. This week, the PGA TOUR heads to TPC Twin Cities to play the 3M Open for the 6th consecutive year.

An Arnold Palmer design, TPC Twin Cities is a 7,431-yard par 71. The course is extremely flat throughout and features Bentgrass greens. The fairways are easier to hit than Tour average, but 13 of the 18 holes do have water hazards in play.

The 3M Open will play host to 156 golfers this week with the top 65 players and ties making the weekend. Some notable golfers making the trip to Minnesota include future stars Michael Thorbjornsen, Neil Shipley, Nick Dunlap and Luke Clanton, as well as veterans such as Keegan Bradley, Lucas Glover, Billy Horschel and Justin Rose.

Past Winners at 3M Open

2023: Lee Hodges (-24)
2022: Tony Finau (-17)
2021: Cameron Champ (-15)
2020: Michael Thompson (-19)
2019: Matthew Wolff (-21)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For TPC Twin Cities

Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Twin Cities to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Off The Tee

In 2019, we saw two of the longest drivers in the game in Matthew Wolff and Bryson DeChambeau go at it down the stretch at TPC Twin Cities, showing that distance is a major factor. In 2021, one of the longest hitters in the game, Cameron Champ, hoisted the trophy, followed by Tony Finau in 2022. With plenty of hazards in play, a total off the tee game will be paramount.

SG: OTT Over Past 24 Rounds:

Luke Clanton (+1.18)
Kevin Dougherty (+1.05)
Patrick Fishburn (+0.95)
Keith Mitchell (+0.86)
Jhonnatan Vegas (+0.83)

Strokes Gained: Approach

With the course being relatively easy around the greens, TPC Twin Cities is a course where supreme ball striking has been rewarded.

Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds:

Tony Finau (+0.98)
Doug Ghim (+0.84)
Keith Mitchell (+0.80)
Chan Kim (+0.76)
Luke Clanton (+0.72)

Birdie or Better Percentage

The green in regulation percentage at TPC Twin Cities is a good deal higher than Tour average. Making pars isn’t going to be enough to get it done at the 3M Open. I expect ball strikers and birdie makers to hold a large share of the win equity this week.

Birdie or Better: Gained Past 24 rounds:

Luke Clanton (28.1%)
Chan Kim (27.1%)
Maverick McNealy (26.6%)
Patton Kizzire (26.4%)
Pierceson Coody (25.7%)

Strokes Gained: Total (Midwest)

There’s been plenty of crossover between the 3M Open and events like the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Players tend to be successful consistently throughout the region.

Strokes Gained: Total (Midwest) Over Past 36 Rounds (minimum 8 rounds):

Luke Clanton (+2.88)
Hayden Springer (+2.51)
Richard Hoey (+1.88)
Tony Finau (+1.78)
J.T. Poston (+1.64)

Course History

This statistic will incorporate players who have had success at TPC Twin Cities.

Course History Over Past 24 Rounds:

Lee Hodges (+3.26)
Tony Finau (+2.39)
Callum Tarren (+2.26)
Emiliano Grillo (+2.09)
Kevin Streelman (+2.07)

The 3M Open Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: OTT (27%), SG: Approach (27%), Birdie or Better (20%), Course History (13%), and SG: Midwest (13%)

Keith Mitchell
Luke Clanton
Tony Finau
Doug Ghim
Kevin Yu
Tom Hoge
Chan Kim
Maverick McNealy
Jhonnatan Vegas
Nick Hardy

2024 3M Open Picks

Luke Clanton +2500 (DraftKings)

Luke Clanton is not your typical amateur. The 20-year-old comes into this week’s 3M Open as one of the field’s best ball strikers in the field despite his inexperience.

Over the past 24 rounds, Clanton ranks 2nd in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 13th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 1st in Birdie or Better percentage. He also ranks 1st in the field in his last 12 rounds on “Driver Heavy” courses.

The Florida State University product became the first amateur to record back-to-back top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 66 years after finishing 10th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T2 at the John Deere Classic. Thanks to those performances, Clanton ranks 4th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total in the Midwest.

In 2019 we saw Matthew Wolff win the 3M Open as a 20-year-old in just his third professional start. Like Clanton, Wolff burst onto the scene with an incredibly potent driver and ability to make birdies. Clanton is as talented a prospect as Wolff, and this is a course that clearly doesn’t require any really course knowledge to be successful at.

In 2024, the game of golf is in a place where speed is king, and Clanton has plenty of it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him spike a win early in his career to jumpstart his trajectory into one of the better young players in the world.

Akshay Bhatia +2800 (DraftKings)

I was a little surprised to see Akshay Bhatia on the odds board at 28-1. While Finau should be the clear favorite, I’d make the argument that Bhatia is the next best player in the field.

Akshay missed the cut at The Open, but in a windy Open Championship debut, I feel fine with giving him a pass. Prior to The Open, Bhatia has shown the golf world why he was such a tantalizing prospect as a teenager. After winning the Valero Texas Open earlier this season, he picked up the form again recently, finishing T5 at the Travelers Championship and runner-up at the Rocket Mortgage Classis which has ties to this event.

Over his past 24 rounds, Bhatia ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. He also ranks 10th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on “driver heavy” courses. The 22-year-old is incredibly accurate off the tee, which will come into play with so many water hazards in play at TPC Twin Cities.

I truly believe the sky is the limit for Bhatia and think he can get another win under his belt at this week’s 3M Open.

Adam Hadwin +5000 (DraftKings)

Adam Hadwin has been excellent in the Midwest and on Bentgrass. He recently finished 3rd at The Memorial Tournament and has a strong history at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which has proven to hold a strong link to the 3M Open.

In 2023, Hadwin narrowly lost at Detroit Golf Club in a playoff to Rickie Fowler. He also has a T4 at the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic. In addition to the form at the Rocket, the Canadian has also played quite well at TPC Twin Cities. He boasts finishes of T6 in 2021 and 4th in 2019.

In his past 24 rounds, Hadwin ranks 27th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 7th in Course History. Although the approach numbers don’t jump off the page, they are solid compared to what the 36-year-old has done historically. Hadwin is a great putter on Bentgrass greens and will need to hole plenty of putts this week.

Hadwin hasn’t won since 2014 but has turned into a very steady and reliable player on Tour. In a weak field, I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle after a decade-long drought.

Emiliano Grillo +5500 (DraftKings)

Emiliano Grillo is heading from Royal Troon to TPC Twin Cities this week and should be feeling relatively satisfied with how he played at The Open Championship. The Argentine finished T43 but had a solid week with his irons, ranking 28th in the field on approach. He will now head to an event that he’s had a great deal of success at with some positivity to build off of.

In his last four trips to the course, Grillo has three top 10 finishes including a T2 in 2022 and a T3 in 2020. His accuracy off the tee and ability to be the best iron player in the field makes him an ideal fit for TPC Twin Cities. The 31-year-old ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total at the course and 14th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total in the Midwest.

In 2022, Grillo missed the cut at The Open and went on to finish T2 the following week at the 3M Open. This week, he should be heading into the week with plenty of confidence. While his issue is typically the putter, Grillo has gained strokes putting in three of his four trips to TPC Twins Cities.

If he can get the putter to cooperate, Grillo can win this event with his iron play.

Jake Knapp +8000 (DraftKings)

Similarly to when I picked Cameron Champ to win the 2021 3M Open at 125-1, this is a high ceiling, winning upside play at a pretty deep spot on the odds board. Knapp finished strong last week at the Barracuda, shooting a 64 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 24th place.

Knapp has been extremely inconsistent but has shown that he has what it takes to win a golf tournament if he gets himself into contention. He has an elite ability to drive the golf ball and TPC Twin Cities is one of the courses on Tour that should allow him to go full throttle on the vast majority of holes. Knapp ranks 15th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.

There certainly seems to be a leaderboard correlation with players who’ve done well at both the 3M Open and Mexico Open. Players like Tony Finau, Cameron Champ and Emiliano Grillo have shined at both spots.

I’m not incredibly high on Knapp as a player, but I do believe there are certain spots where he carries win equity, and this is one of those spots.

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