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Here’s how Anthony Kim tests new equipment

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Anthony Kim’s journey through professional golf from early stardom to disappearing for 12 years to now becoming a winner again on LIV Golf is without doubt distinctive. And the way he built his new bag setup mirrors that uniqueness.

On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-host Johnny Wunder, who has become friends with Kim over the past year, details how Kim went about testing new equipment once he came back to a completely different world of professional golf.

When Kim, now 40, earned his first two PGA Tour titles in 2008, 16 years ago, the first adjustable loft driver had yet to hit the market. Launch monitors were on the PGA Tour, but they weren’t the fixture they are today.

Custom club fitting had been around for some time, but we were only beginning to push the boundaries of individual optimization that we can achieve now.

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Kim, in some ways, is still rooted in those old-school ways.

Wunder met Kim last year and became friends with him after he walked a practice round with him at LIV Golf Virginia. That’s how Wunder started to understand how Kim thinks differently about gear.

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“It’s been interesting,” Wunder said. “You’re talking to a person, trying to help them and answer questions for them and they don’t know Trackman, they don’t know Foresight. They don’t even speak modern golf ball.”

Using his connections in the gear space, whenever Kim would ask him about a product like a wedge or a driver, Wunder would reach out and get one for him to test.

Then Kim would give his feedback to Wunder.

“He would get stuff and he would test it and he would say I like it because it does this. It was all very ball-related,” Wunder said. “It was, ‘I swing this way and the ball goes that way.’ There’s no numbers.”

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Wunder said Kim has built his bag around feel and that’s a non-negotiable for him.

But yet, over the past month-plus as he earned back his spot on LIV Golf and his first worldwide victory since 2010, he’s made immense progress with his game.

For more from Wunder and co-host Jake Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen preview, head-to-head, odds, prediction & betting tips

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8 minutes ago

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22 February 2026

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Match Details

Fixture: (1) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs (PR) Zhang Zhizhen

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Date: Monday, February 22, 2026

Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships

Round: First (Round of 32)

Category: ATP 500

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Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Surface: Hard (outdoor)

Prize Money: $3,311,005

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN, TVA Sports, DAZN

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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen preview

Last year’s runner-up and top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime, will take on Zhang Zhizhen in the opening round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Whoever wins the match will take on either Tunisian Moez Echargui or a qualifier/lucky loser in the second round of the ATP 500 event.

Auger-Aliassime enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, but his 2026 season got off to a rocky start. After winning just one of his two singles matches at the United Cup and retiring from his Australian Open first-round clash, the Canadian won the Open Occitanie in Montpellier and followed it up by reaching the final of the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he lost to Alex de Minaur.

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Zhang Zhizhen has won three out of six matches so far in the 2026 season, with his most notable victory coming against Zizou Bergs at the United Cup. The Chinese, who was ranked 422 places below the Belgian at the time, won 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 7-5.

Before Dubai, Zhang last competed at the Qatar Open, getting a place in the main draw through protected ranking. The Chinese beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round before losing 3-6, 2-6 to sixth seed and eventual semifinalist Jakub Mensik in the second round.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen head-to-head

The head-to-head between the two is currently tied at 1-1, with Auger-Aliassime winning their most recent encounter 6-4. 6-4, which came during the United Cup earlier this year.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games (Over and Under)
Felix Auger-Aliassime TBD TBD TBD
Zhang Zhizhen TBD TBD TBD

Odds will be updated when available.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen prediction

Auger-Aliassime will enter the match as the overwhelming favorite to win, given his form over the past 15 months. The Canadian has reached the final in his two tournaments and has a good chance of doing so this time around as well. That said, Zhang has done well in his matches so far in 2026, beating several higher-ranked players, as his ranking rose from 464 to 319.

Auger-Aliassime is an effective server and produced 35 aces from five matches in Rotterdam. The 25-year-old doesn’t shy away from playing his shots and his aggression will no doubt make things difficult for Zhang.

The 29-year-old amassed 12 aces from his two matches in Doha and will rely heavily on his service games while looking for a decisive break. Auger-Aliassime has often produced unforced errors, so Zhang will have to find a balanced approach if he is to make things difficult for the World No. 7.

While the Chinese has produced some good moments so far this season, Auger-Aliassime could well be too much for him and he should be able to book his place in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

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Pick: Auger-Aliassime to win in straight sets.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen betting tips

Tip 1: Auger-Aliassime to serve over ten aces

Tip 2: Auger-Aliassime to lose less than five games