In 2012, Anthony Kim appeared to have the world at his feet, with three PGA Tour wins, top-10s in Majors, and a Ryder Cup appearance under his belt, while still only in his mid-20s.
When he underwent surgery for an Achilles tendon injury that June, there was no reason to believe it would be anything other than a setback before resuming his rapid rise to the top.
That’s not remotely how it worked out. Despite being eligible to pick up his PGA Tour career in 2013 on a Major Medical Exemption, there was no return for Kim.
Indeed, he didn’t play professionally at all for 12 years, while public appearances were nonexistent.
That all changed in 2024 when he was handed a professional lifeline as a LIV Golf wildcard, a comeback that finally had its fairytale moment with Kim’s stunning success in Adelaide, where, now aged 40, he won by three, beating challengers including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
While Kim’s first title in 16 years opens up the possibility of a glorious second chapter of his career, the question remains: why did he spend so long away from the game?
Through the years, it was widely reported that Kim had a disability insurance policy worth multiple millions of dollars that may have been affected by a return. However, that is only part of the story.
Anthony Kim won three times on the PGA Tour before disappearing from the game for 12 years
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Some of the earliest clues to the reasons for Kim’s long hiatus came shortly after he returned to the professional game, in an interview with David Feherty, published on LIV Golf Plus in April 2024.
In the interview, Kim touched on the insurance policy, but also revealed that further serious injuries, including spinal fusion surgery, as well as personal demons, had contributed to his 12-year absence.
He said: “I know public perception is that I took this money and ran and decided I was just going to hang out. That wasn’t the case at all. I had multiple, multiple surgeries in a few years. And my body is still not what it used to be.”
Kim also detailed the personal issues that had prevented a return, including having the wrong people around him. He said: “I’m not going to lie, I was around some bad people. People that took advantage of me. Scam…
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