(Update (2/29): Kim’s equipment setup appears to be set ahead of Friday’s first round. Here’s what he currently has in the bag. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (Fujikura Ventus Black TR 6X shaft), 9 degrees | 3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (Fujikura Ventus Blue TR 7X shaft), 13 degrees | Irons: Titleist T200 (2-iron; Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10TX shaft), Titleist T100 (4-iron; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft), Titleist 620 MB (5-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts) | Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50.12F, 54.14K and 58.04T degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts | Putter: Scotty Cameron T22 Teryllium Newport 2 (SuperStroke grip) | Ball: Titleist 2023 Pro V1 or Pro V1x (Kim is still testing both balls))
Anthony Kim’s return to professional golf was never going to be straightforward. Not for someone who disappeared from the spotlight 12 years ago, only to resurface this week in Saudi Arabia at a LIV Golf event. But now, instead of continually wondering what the professional landscape would look like with “AK” back in the fold, we get the opportunity to see conjecture turn into reality.
A lot has changed since Kim stepped away from the game in 2012, including the state of the golf equipment industry. As GOLF.com’s Jack Hirsh pointed out, Nike Golf was still in the hard-goods business and counted Kim as a Swoosh staffer.
With Nike no longer in the clubs and golf ball game, it’s fair to wonder what Kim will be wielding this week at Royal Greens Golf Club. While LIV has blown out Kim’s return on social media, very few photos of the clubs have surfaced — with a few exceptions. A source in Saudi Arabia confirmed Kim is still testing a myriad of clubs ahead of Friday’s first round, so it’s likely we won’t get a definitive “what’s in the bag” until then.
For the moment, here’s what we do know: Kim was photographed on Wednesday using Titleist TSR metalwoods — TSR3 driver and TSR2 fairway wood — during a practice session, Vokey wedges (likely SM10) and a Scotty Cameron Teryllium putter.
The putter might be the most interesting piece of gear, as it looks eerily similar to the version he used previously featuring a Teryllium insert. Assuming it’s the same putter, Kim’s wand has his initials (AK) on the toe and Boomer Sooner (University of Oklahoma fight song) stamped on the back bumpers. But like the rest of the setup, official confirmation is needed before assuming anything.
So what about the irons? Video briefly showed Kim using a set of muscle back blades, and with a Titleist-heavy setup already a distinct possibility, it’s fair to wonder if they’re 620 MB or something else altogether. The supposed “something else” could be a set of Miura MB-101 irons that Kim started testing ahead of his return to competitive golf.
In an effort to vet as many iron sets as possible, Kim tested Miura’s TC-201 and MB-101 (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts; Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 60R grips) to get a feel for how they performed. Kim liked the feel of the MB-101s (standard length/lie, swing-weight around D3-4) but felt they were initially coming out of an unfamiliar launch window — so he requested Miura send him a second set that was 2 degrees strong.
It’s unclear which direction Kim might go, but here’s an effective way to tell the two Miura sets apart: The initial 101 set with more traditional lofts had a retro Miura script (pictured) on the muscle pad, while the set that was 2 degrees strong looks like the retail version with a Miura logo in the upper left-hand corner of the pad.
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Based on footage from the course, the set with the retro Miura script was most recently in the bag.
With another day of practice on tap, Kim could stand pat with his setup or throw gearheads another curveball and try something wildly different. At this point, anything is possible.
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