Anthony Kim hasn’t had the best of years this season! A T56 on the season-long leaderboard isn’t that impressive, especially when you’re just one spot above a reserve athlete who has only teed off in three events. But 2025 might be different, hopefully. The reason for the hope? An analysis by none other than Tiger Woods’ ex-coach, Hank Haney.

The LIV Golf pro recently shared a picture of himself with his daughter, along with three videos of him practicing his swing and putting. “Thankful 4 another gr8 day of #sobriety, family, practice,” wrote Kim on X as he shared the post on his social media handle. What he didn’t expect was for Haney to respond to the videos. “Swing is looking great @AnthonyKim_Golf,” wrote Woods’s former coach, “Keep grinding.”

https://twitter.com/HankHaney/status/1845596260889448484

Quite heartwarming and encouraging, to be honest. Especially after witnessing Anthony Kim fail to make a mark in the 2024 season of the Saudi-backed league. Out of the 10 events he teed off in, the athlete failed to clinch even one top-30 finish, let alone a top-10 placement. His best result, fortunately or unfortunately, came from the Greenbrier event where he placed T36.

The LIV Golf Pro, meanwhile, wasn’t someone to turn a blind eye to such a compliment. “Appreciate u, Hank,” replied Anthony Kim to Tiger Woods’s former coach as he added, “Feel like I have come a long way and not gonna stop working at it. Hope u and the fam R well.” Come a long way he has, for sure, as he had been absent from the sport for over 10 years before making a comeback through LIV Golf.

What happened to the golfer? After emerging victorious at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, the now-LIV Golf pro had surgery on his Achilles, after which he disappeared. “I know public perception is that I took this money and ran and decided I was just going to hang out,” said Kim in an interview with David Feherty. “I had multiple, multiple surgeries in a few years. And my body is still not what it used to be.” And now, he has grown so much that the 39-year-old received a compliment from Hank Haney? Impressive! On the other hand, Kim is not the only person the legend’s former coach has recently stood up for.

Tiger Woods’s ex-coach, Hank Haney, exudes support for Jon Rahm

Was Jon Rahm truly happy on LIV Golf? You bet he was. Interestingly, the Spaniard had candidly expressed his happiness on the PIF-funded circuit even before his LIV Golf Chicago win. Haney, noting this, reshared the video on his X handle, captioning it, “It means something to @JonRahmOfficial.” However, a certain enthusiast didn’t like the coach’s comment, for they reacted with a sarcastic response of their own; “To win a 3-day exhibition?”

How did Tiger Woods’ former coach respond? He took a jab at the PGA Tour by commenting, “As opposed to a 4-day exhibition?” So, according to Haney, did this mean that if winning in the LIV Golf League doesn’t mean anything, then neither should emerging victorious at the Jay Monahan-led circuit? Quite a reply! Anyhow, Anthony Kim just needs to focus on his game at the moment to make a proper comeback next season in whatever event he tees off in!