Phil Mickelson responds as Anthony Kim shoots his lowest score since returning to golf in Saudi Arabia

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Anthony Kim just played his best round since his return to professional golf at the Asian Tour’s Saudi International.

Kim’s last two seasons on the LIV Golf tour were unsuccessful, as he did not score a single point in 24 events.

The three-time PGA Tour winner has since been relegated from the league, which is a major setback in his career.

However, Kim’s performances have improved recently, making the cut at the Hong Kong Open three weeks ago.

And he’s now in contention at the Saudi International after shooting his lowest tournament score in years.

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Phil Mickelson praises Anthony Kim after second round 64 at Saudi International

Anthony Kim is one of 43 LIV Golfers in the field at the Saudi International this week, including Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, and Dustin Johnson.

Nobody would have expected Kim to be in contention after two rounds; however, he has played some superb golf in Riyadh.

Kim shot a four-under-par 67 in the first round of the event and followed it up with a bogey-free 64 (-7), his lowest round since returning to professional golf.

His next four best rounds in the last two years were all five under par, at LIV Golf events in Hong Kong (2024), Greenbrier (2024), Miami (2025), and Chicago (2025).

Kim is now 11 under at the Saudi International, two strokes behind the current leader, 4Aces team member Thomas Pieters.

LIV Golf superstar Phil Mickelson has since reacted to Kim’s performance on social media. “This is so great to see. Have a great weekend AK,” he said.

Anthony Kim’s improvement is no coincidence

Anthony Kim is convinced that his recent form is a result of his persistent hard work since he started playing again two years ago.

“Yeah, I’m finally starting to see some of the work show,” he explained. “I haven’t been able to swing like I have been in practice rounds and back at home in tournament golf, but it’s starting to show up and starting to feel more comfortable out here.”

Kim emphasized that the only reason he is playing well at the moment is the amount of effort he has put into improving his game.

“Hard work. This is the hardest I’ve worked since I was a little kid,” the 40-year-old added. “I have fallen back in love with the game.

“I feel a lot of gratitude playing this game, getting to travel. We were in Dubai last week and in Saudi Arabia now. I’m just looking forward to the future.”

Kim maintained that he is not yet thinking about winning the tournament, and the prize money and world ranking points that would come with it.

“Yeah, I’m not too worried about that,” Kim responded. “That stuff used to matter to me. Right now, I’m just working on taking one shot at a time and making good golf swings, and enjoying my time here in Saudi Arabia.”