Anthony Kim, once the world’s sixth-ranked golfer, said he battled “very dark demons”, including addiction and a litany of injuries, during more than a decade away from the sport before returning to LIV Golf last month.
Once touted as one of America’s hottest young stars, Kim disappeared from the game before turning 30, ravaged by injuries and a losing streak. So says an interview with David Feherty was published on LIV Golf Plus On Tuesday, the 38-year-old Californian revealed details of his long road back after almost a dozen years away.
“Golf is important to me and not important to me at the same time,” Kim said. “I’ve had some very dark moments. I’ve had some really bad moments. I’ve felt very lonely, even though there are a million people around. I had to sort out my thoughts and figure out what my purpose on this planet was.
Kim, who said he is participating in a documentary about his life, was a three-time winner on the PGA Tour from 2008 to 2010 and competed on the U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. But he disappeared from the public eye after walking off the track at Quail Hollow and straight to the parking lot as he retired from a round of the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2012.
Kim, who said he has an “addictive personality” and knew he “needed help for a long time,” said his time at the top was marked by hangers-on intent on taking advantage of him.
“I’m not going to lie, I was around bad people,” Kim said. “People who took advantage of me. Scammers. And when you’re 24, 25, even 30 years old, you don’t realize what snakes live under your roof.”
Kim told LIV Golf Plus that he had surgeries on his hand and shoulder and a spinal fusion procedure after leaving the competition. After an Achilles tendon injury, the former Oklahoma State star collected at least part of a disability insurance policy reportedly worth $10 million to $20 million.
“I know the public perception is that I took this money and walked away and decided I was just going to hang out,” Kim said. “That was not the case at all. I’ve had multiple, multiple surgeries in just a few years. And my body is still not what it used to be.”
In March, LIV Golf announced that Kim would join the Saudi-funded breakaway golf circuit as a wildcard, meaning he will not be associated with any of the 13 teams on the tour.
He made his debut at LIV Golf Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, where he made his first competitive shot in 4,320 days, finishing the event in last place of the 53 golfers who completed the tournament and 32 strokes behind winner Joaquin Niemann.
“I have an interesting relationship with golf,” Kim said. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved it. What’s really weird for me is that I’m falling in love with the game. That’s such a weird spot for me because golf was full of pressure. Golf for me was filled with many different emotions.
“Because my family went through a lot to give me the opportunity to play golf. So with that extra pressure I was willing to risk a lot more. That was my nature. I was aggressive on the golf course. I was aggressive off the golf course and that led to my downfall.”
Kim credited his wife Emily and their two-year-old daughter Bella with helping him turn his life around.
“I am so blessed to have both women in my life,” Kim said. “Every morning I wake up with a feeling of gratitude.”
