Anthony Kim has begun to unravel the story that has kept so many golf fans guessing during the last 12 years.
The American joined LIV Golf at the start of 2024 in a deal that stunned the game. After winning three times on the PGA Tour between 2008 and 2010 and playing for America at the 2008 Ryder Cup, there hadn’t been sight nor sound of him post-2012.
A litter of injuries nullified the talent of a player that was becoming a star on the US circuit, but for over a decade, no one has known what Kim has been up to which made his decision to step out of the shadows with LIV Golf all the more surprising.
Kim has been promising to tell his story as his LIV Golf career develops and he has started this process via an interview with LIV broadcaster David Feherty.
In the 20-minute clip which was released on April 2, Kim addresses several different topics such as the surgeries he has undergone, the importance of his wife and his daughter, people he no longer associates with and his decision to join LIV Golf.
Let’s take a look at the areas that Kim discussed and the answers that he provided to Feherty.
10 takeaways from the Anthony Kim interview…
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Where he went after injuring his Achilles in 2012…
In 2012, Kim had surgery on his Achilles tendon and this was the year of his last appearance on the PGA Tour – a WD from the Wells Fargo Championship.
“I really didn’t leave the house, I watched a lot of reality TV and ate a lot of food and just hung out with my animals, and occasionally had a good time. At one point, I had six dogs and two monkeys.”
Going under the knife…
This visit to the hospital wasn’t the only one of his career. Kim revealed to Feherty the extent of his history under the knife.
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“I know public opinion is that I took the money and decided I was just going to hang out, but that wasn’t the case at all, I had multiple surgeries in a few years and my body’s still not what it used to be.
“I’ve had multiple shoulder surgeries, hand surgery, spinal fusion, I had a lot of injuries and a lot of surgeries – I think I’m actually hitting the ball farther now than when I left the game, so maybe some of this metal is helping, so I’m hoping I don’t have any surgeries upcoming.”
Did he have an interest from the PGA Tour?
The initial rumours of Kim’s return to golf linked him to the PGA Tour. He explained a little more to Feherty…
“I would be lying to say I didn’t have any interest (in the PGA Tour). They did reach out about the possibility of playing on the PGA Tour again.
“I weighed both options, through all these experiences I’ve learned that as much as you try to make good decisions in your life, you need to stay true to who you are and that’s something that’s actually helping me in my golf game, because I took some risks that were unnecessary before and now I’m a little bit more calculated, but I’m going to keep taking risks as I go along.”
Kim’s expectations for the 2024 LIV Golf season
Kim finished dead last in his first LIV Golf appearance in Jeddah. This is what he said about what he wants to achieve this season…
“Obviously, I’ve played at a high level before, but at the same time, I understand that I’ve taken 12 years away from the game and obviously there are a lot of opinions about whether I played golf or not and the honest answer is no, I have not played any golf until about 3 months ago when I got the call from Greg about possibly playing again.
“I wasn’t even considering playing golf, so my expectations are to just take it day by day, work hard and see where that gets me because the guys are getting better. I’ve been away so there’s a lot of rust, but I feel I can compete if I keep working on the right things.”
Being told he couldn’t have children…
Throughout the interview, Kim spoke about the importance of his daughter Bella who has inspired him but at one stage, children weren’t an option for him…
“I lost faith in myself. On top of that, the doctor said I wouldn’t be able to have a child because of all the things my body has been through and that was very disappointing.
“That made me feel even smaller than I had felt originally, but this blessing happened and now I’m getting to experience this.”
The feeling of his first tee shot in Jeddah
There was much anticipation surrounding what was left of Kim’s ability when he stepped on to the first tee at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club…
“I felt different. I actually put a B on my ball with a heart around it, sounds pretty corny, for Bella. When I look down, it calms me down.
“I thought I would be a little more nervous than I was because obviously it’s a completely different atmosphere and I’m playing clear-minded, but I didn’t have as many nerves as I thought, and I hit a good one.”
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Kim doesn’t remember the good times…
Kim had many good times during his career and while it is suspected he rather enjoyed himself off the course as well, he has no recollection of this…
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“I thought I was having a great time and I don’t remember any of those times and when I say that, I literally don’t remember any of those times because you figure at 23, 24, 22 years old, you’re supposed to be doing these things and it’s OK.
“But with the personality that I have, which is an addictive personality, it can get out of hand and unfortunately, I was around people that enjoyed the same things and maybe didn’t have the same opportunities as I did and the same responsibilities quite honestly.”
Can he reach his peak again?
He is a three-time PGA Tour winner and formerly a World No.6 golfer, so can Kim get back to where he belongs?
“I believe I can absolutely do it at that level again. I’m prepared more than ever for success. I don’t think in my first career, I was because I didn’t know what to expect.
“It was my mistakes that are the reason I fell down into this deep hole. Having better people around this time around definitely helps.”
Which people have helped him the most?
As well as the role his daughter has played in his life, Kim attributes his return to happiness to two other people…
“My wife and my mother are inspirations for me. It would’ve been easy for either of them to turn their back on me, but the ultimate inspiration is my daughter, when I had her, my life completely changed and no matter how I do at golf, it doesn’t matter.
“Obviously, through this platform at LIV, she’s getting to see the world and that’s my dream for her, to be happy and see the world and live a life where she feels loved and cared for.”
What his LIV Golf future could look like…
As Kim is a wildcard player, he doesn’t belong to a team on the LIV Golf roster. His performances will need to improve if he is to find a team for 2025, but this hasn’t stopped him from setting goals…
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“Obviously everyone wants to be a captain, you have to have that attitude if you’re going to make it in professional sports, but obviously, the goal is to make a team, be on a team and ultimately be a team captain at some point.
“I know the results obviously haven’t been great, but I’m very confident in my abilities and I think working on the right things, I’ll be able to get there.”
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