Since his disappearance from the PGA Tour some seven years ago, Anthony Kim has slowly faded into the pages of golf mythology. In this day and age, it seems impossible that someone so high-profile could just disappear, but that’s what Kim has done; he exists now largely in rumor, through secondhand stories and random sightings.
But Kim surfaced again last week in West Hollywood, Calif., where he ran into friend of GOLF.com Benjamin Bujnowski on the street. Bujnowski was in town on vacation with his family and had just finished breakfast at Toast in West Hollywood.
“As we’re leaving, someone looking like AK walks towards us with his girlfriend walking their dog,” Bujnowski told GOLF.com in a message. “I immediately notice the left arm sleeve tat, with the Labrador outside his elbow. I turn to my wife and daughter and go, ‘Holy smokes, that’s Anthony Kim!’”
Bujnowski walked back to introduce himself to the former Ryder Cup star. Kim was friendly, he said, and chatty, asking his name and agreeing to a picture.
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Bujnowski was struck by just how approachable and friendly he was. Then he asked Kim the question every fan has been wondering. “How’s the golf game?”
“Um…non-existent,” Kim replied.
Conspiracy theorists, feel free to read into that however you’d like. Is A.K. officially done playing golf? Or is this just what he would have to say, given his rumored insurance policy, which mandates that he cannot play golf? We wish we had more answers.
At the same time, maybe it’s better not knowing. Sports are better with some mysteries unsolved, and if Anthony Kim wants to retreat from formal appearances in the public eye, that does feel like his right. But it doesn’t mean we’ll stop wondering, and keeping our eyes out for more Kim sightings in the wild.
