AK again opens in 76 on LIV, but four clear of Phil, who shoots 80

A week after returning from a 12-year professional hiatus and finishing last in Saudi Arabia, Anthony Kim didn’t find much better results to start in Hong Kong.

But he’s not last.

Kim shot 6-over 76 in Round 1 of the LIV Golf event on the 6,710-yard Hong Kong Golf Club course. He is T-52 in the 54-man field, 13 shots behind leaders Dean Burmester and Abraham Ancer.

Kim, who shot 76-76-74 on a par-70 layout last week, is currently tied with fellow wildcard (no team affiliation) Hudson Swafford. They are both four strokes clear of Phil Mickelson, who shot 80.

Mickelson’s round included four bogeys, three double bogeys and no birdies. Kim, meanwhile, again got off to a rough start — as he did repeatedly last week — with two bogeys and a double in his first four holes. After stringing together eight consecutive pars and then making a birdie, Kim finished with three bogeys over his final five holes.