WITB: What’s in Anthony Kim’s bag?

Well, it’s happening. Anthony Kim is on his way back.

The American is one of the most talked-about golfers of the 21st century, despite the fact he’s only played in a handful of majors, and yet the hysteria surrounding not only his return to action – which will be with LIV Golf in Jeddah – but public life too is off the charts.

But this is the gear section of bunkered.co.uk – and it got us thinking about that. What equipment will he use?

Unless he still has his gear from his last tournament appearance, he’s going to need something new – because those clubs have been defunct for years – and there are some clues knocking about.

But first, what did he use in his time on the PGA Tour?

In an In the Bag video from 2009, posted by the Tour’s media team, Kim starts off by explaining that he has his “new iPhone” before adding that he is “never anywhere without it” – which perhaps tells us more about him than anything else. (That year saw the launch of the iPhone 3, if you want to feel old.)

But onto his gear, he does reveal that he had used a Scotty Cameron putter since he was 14. “It’s helped me so much,” he adds. “A lot of my success it due to them.”

The rest of his bag, though, was Nike.

“The greatest addition to my bag has been the new Dymo driver,” he says. “It’s a lot smaller, at 380cc, and I’m just happy that I have a driver I can hit off the ground if I need to. It’s one of the most important clubs in the bag, because you have to get the ball in the fairway to have a good shot at birdie.”

Picking up his Nike SQ fairway wood, he adds: “I’m used to using a hybrid for a 3-wood, but I switched over to this new Nike 3-wood that they made me. I never was comfortable with 3-wood until they made this one for me. It’s awesome and I’m loving every minute of it. Usually I hit my 3-wood out of bounds, and it goes straight, so to be able to hit it in the fairway is a very nice feeling.”

He continues: “I’ve been using Nike irons since I turned pro in 2006 and I’ve been loving them ever since. I’m more of a feel player than most. I don’t really care if my 7-iron is the right loft as long as it’s going the right distance.”

And on the wedges, he says he had been working with the team at Nike to create his own grind, “so I can play out of the rough and out of the bunkers the same way”.

Fast forward to 2012, his last season on the PGA Tour before his hiatus, and his setup wasn’t much different. He had swapped the Dymo out for the newer VR Pro, and he was also testing a Nike Method putter alongside his trusty Scotty Cameron.

What’s in Anthony Kim’s bag?

• Perry: Kim’s off to LIV – and we wouldn’t have it any other way

• McEwan: Kim was never a golf great – so what gives?

• Parsons: The story so far of golf’s biggest enigma

• Fraser: What can we learn from AK’s new swing?

Before we get to what he’s going to be using for his big comeback, let’s have a quick rundown of what was in AK’s bag through the years…

Anthony Kim WITB 2008

Driver: Nike Sumo 5000 (7.5°)
Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro (14°)
Irons: Nike Pro Combo (2); Nike Forged Blade (3-PW)
Wedges: Nike SV (54°, 59°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Tour
Ball: Nike One Platinum
Shoes: Nike
Apparel: Nike

Anthony Kim WITB 2010

Driver: Nike VR Pro LTD (9.5° @ 10°, UST AxivCore Tour Black 79X shaft)
Fairway woods: TaylorMade Burner TS (13°); Nike Sasquatch Dyno (19°, UST AxivCore Tour Black 89X shafts)
Irons: Nike VR Pro MB (3-PW, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)
Wedges: Nike VR Pro MT Grind: (54°, 59°, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Select Circle T Newport 2
Ball: Nike One Platinum
Shoes: Nike
Apparel: Nike

Anthony Kim WITB 2012

Here’s what he was using for his last appearance at that year’s Wells Fargo Championship:

Driver: Nike VR Pro LTD (9.5° @ 10°, UST Attas RK Proto 7X shaft)
Fairway woods: Nike VR Pro LTD (15° @ 15.5°, Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana Ahina 80X shaft; 19° @ 17°, UST AxivCore Tour Red 89X shaft)
Irons: Nike VR Pro Split CB (3); Nike VR Pro MB (4-PW, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)
Wedges: Nike VR Pro MT Grind: (54°, 59°, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)
Putter: Scotty Cameron ‘Button Back’ Newport 2; Nike Method
Ball: Nike One Platinum
Shoes: Nike
Apparel: Nike

Anthony Kim WITB 2024

Now, thanks to a release from his new tour, LIV Golf, we know what Kim will be taking to the course in his first professional start in over a decade.

As you’ll see, it’s a full bag of Titleist equipment, including the Pro V1 golf ball.

Let’s dive in…

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9°, Ventus Black 6-X)
Fairway wood: Titleist TSR2+ (13°, Ventus TR Blue 7-X)
Driving Iron: Titleist T200 (2-iron,  Ventus Black HB 10-TX)
Irons: Titleist T100 (4-iron, True Temper Dynamic Gold s400); Titleist 620 MB (5-iron – pitching wedge, True Temper Dynamic Gold s400)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 (50°, 54°, 59°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport T10 Select
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Glove: Titleist Players
Apparel: LIV Golf
Shoes: Nike Air Jordan 1

AK’s footwear has certainly been a big talking point in his return.

His first sighting on the range was in a pair of shoes we can’t quite work out…

“I’ll play in your league, Greg. But I’m NOT wearing the clothes.” pic.twitter.com/B5z3UuPQMO

— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) February 27, 2024

Then great work by our man Lewis Fraser, who spotted he was wearing Autry trainers in his practice round…

Some pics from LIV Golf Jeddah of AK in his first practice round. Looks to be a full bag of Titleist clubs, with Vokey wedges and a Scotty Cameron. Definitely cannot comment on the shorts and t-shirt. pic.twitter.com/OZ0z20ZGxZ

— Lewis Fraser (@lewisfras98) February 28, 2024

Then it was into a pair of Off-White kicks in the pro-am – which will set you back a few quid, by the way…

AK putting his LIV Golf fortune to good use by rocking a pair of £500 kicks in the pro-am.

(‘Out of Office’ by Off-White, if you fancy a pair.) pic.twitter.com/eNpSsH8RWo

— Alex Perry (@byAlexPerry) February 29, 2024

As for the tournament proper – well, it was back into something a bit more familiar with the Nike Air Jordan 1s…

Here's a first look at the man himself this morning 👇🏼

Thoughts?

(📸 @thegolfeditor) pic.twitter.com/jdLXqoxN0C

— bunkered (@BunkeredOnline) March 1, 2024

Hopefully he laced them before he started.

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor