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.
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 artists.”
He hinted at mental health issues, too, saying: “Golf is important to me and not important to me at the same time. I’ve had some very dark moments.
“I’ve had some very low moments. I’ve felt very alone, even when there’s a million people around. I needed to get my mind straight and figure out what my purpose was on this planet.”
In February 2025, Kim opened up further, revealing a long battle with addiction and mental health challenges on Instagram.
Kim, who wrote the message to mark two years of sobriety, explained he had been to rehab stating: “Everyday I chose drugs & alcohol 2 numb the pain.”
He added: “I contemplated ending my life everyday for almost 2 decades even while playing @pgatour when I 2 the public seemed happy while struggling w addiction & mental illness.”
Thankfully, those days appear to be firmly behind Kim, while he is determined to build on his remarkable comeback story.
Following his LIV Golf Adelaide win, Kim credited the birth of his and wife Emily’s daughter, Bella, as the catalyst for the turnaround in his life, saying: “Obviously when Bella was born, Emily's and my life changed.
"But to be able to share this moment, even though Bella won't understand it, one day she will, and for her to be able to run on the green and see her dad isn't a loser was one of the most special moments of my life.”
He added: "I want to be a good example. I would say that I wasn't the best person, the best partner, the best whatever you want to call it, the best son I could be when I was younger. But who I am today is a completely different person.
"With God, my family, my sobriety being the key things to my life, I can go as far as I want."
