Shades of Epic Ryder Cup Encounter As Anthony Kim Set To Play With Sergio Garcia In Adelaide

If Anthony Kim is looking for inspiration as he continues his comeback, then his Saturday pairing at LIV Golf Adelaide might just do the trick as he plays alongside old Ryder Cup foe Sergio Garcia.

Kim was at the height of his powers during a stellar appearance in his one and only Ryder Cup at Valhalla in 2008.

The rookie won 2.5 points from his four matches in Kentucky, which included a pulsating 5&4 victory over Garcia in the lead-off match in the Sunday singles.

It was a bold move by Team USA captain Paul Azinger to send Kim out first on Sunday, but he was such a precocious talent that it never really seemed like a risk.

Garcia, who is the record points scorer in Ryder Cup history, just couldn't live with the young American as the Spaniard lost 5&4 and Nick Faldo's Europe went on to suffer a damaging 16.5-11.5 defeat.

They're both on the same team these days in a way, with Kim playing as a wildcard in the LIV Golf League this season alongside Garcia - who is captain of the Fireballs team.

And as Kim continues his comeback from a difficult 12-year hiatus from professional golf, maybe looking back at the video highlights below from his match with Garcia will give him extra motivation.

Kim has recently spoken again about some of his issues he had to deal with during his break from the sport, including multiple surgeries and severe mental health problems.

He said ahead of LIV Gold Adelaide that he "didn't know how much longer I had to live" during one of the darker times.

The three-time PGA Tour winner returned to men's professional golf in February by playing in the LIV Golf League - where he will compete all season as a wildcard.

Kim has opened up on a few occasions about the reasons for his long spell away from golf - notably in an interview with David Feherty - where among other things he described the multiple surgeries he's had on injuries.

The 38-year-old has shown flashes of his former ability but has largely been languishing near the bottom of the standings so far in his return.

Kim was at least under par in his latest round, mixing four birdies with three bogeys to shoot one under in Adelaide - matching the score of Garcia who he will play with alongside Sam Horsfield in the second round on Saturday.

Maybe the two will catch up on old times, although those Ryder Cup memories aren't likely to be top of Garcia's list of conversation topics.