Since Anthony Kim returned to professional golf, much has been written about him, but certainly no one could have thought that this Sunday he could fight to win a tournament like the LIV Golf Adelaide
In short, a torn Achilles tendon during the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship ended the career of American rising star Anthony Kim, who is now 40 years old. Perhaps it was the consequence of his troubled life. The golfer, who played on the PGA Tour between 2007 and 2012, has admitted that even in college he had mental health and addiction problems. He won three PGA Tour events before the age of 25 and was on a roll, but as he himself confessed, “it’s very difficult to play majors and stop to go to the bathroom every few holes”.
He was forced to retire due to the Achilles injury and began going to therapy. He didn’t pick up a club again and suddenly, in 2024, LIV Golf got AK back, who even exposed himself to a return of the millionaire injury policy he collected. The new circuit paid him well and, with a deteriorated appearance as a result of all those excesses, he considered that it was worth trying again. He did not belong to any team, he was considered a ‘wild card’, and unfortunately in 2025 he was relegated. It seemed that his time at LIV was over just when he had started to play better.
He did not give up and played in the LIV Golf Promotions tournament in which he regained his place. Last week in Riyadh he finished in 23rd place, but at times played very brilliantly. This made him an offer a few days ago for the spot that Patrick Reed had vacated in the 4Aces team and now he is third in the Adelaide tournament, five strokes behind Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. Kim will witness a duel between the two stars of the league, as the three will share a match on Sunday but, what if he ends up beating two of the best players in the world? And let it be known that the week started badly for him: “I didn’t have a visa to enter Australia,” he revealed. Now neither Jon nor Bryson can believe what AK is doing and in a press conference they asked him about this after finishing the third round.
I hope you find the right person to tell your story, whether in a movie, a documentary series… it’s amazing
The ‘Lion of Barrika’ commented on Kim: “I was able to enjoy a car ride back to the hotel from the golf course in Riyadh, where, for some reason, there is a lot of traffic at midnight, so it lasted more than an hour, and he shared much of his story with me. What he is doing is really extraordinary. I really hope he finds the right person to tell his story, whether it’s in a movie, a documentary series, a book or whatever, because what he’s doing is amazing”
‘Rahmbo’ also explained that his progression has amazed him: “I have been able to play with him from his comeback stage to his current stage. I played in Singapore at the beginning of his first season. We both played here last year in the first round, and I played with him yesterday, and the progression, the jump from those two times to yesterday, is amazing. The round he played yesterday on a course that is not exactly the easiest was incredible. He didn’t miss a single shot. […] After everything he has been through, if there is someone who is not afraid to be here and have to hole the putts, it is someone like him. I would not be surprised if, at this stage of the season, it was someone who lifted the trophy at the end of the week.
He went from the lowest of the low, almost went from this world, and then came back
DeChambeau also praised Kim: “What an incredible story. He went from the lowest of lows, almost leaving this world, and then came back, took responsibility for raising his little daughter, being a family man and being 1% better every day. It’s an inspiring story that, honestly, I think should get a lot more media attention. He deserves it.”
The ‘Scientist’ also said: “It shows some of the opportunities that LIV Golf can provide and gives hope to people. It’s another opportunity to play. I think the brilliant thing is that you have someone like him, who has struggled for almost his entire career, and now is when he has become someone bigger than ever: a family man, a father, a great person who cares deeply about playing golf well. That’s all he cares about and loves. I think it’s really inspiring for anyone, at any age, that you can learn and be a better person. I take my hat off to him for everything he’s doing, for working so hard to come back. He’s got incredible talent, obviously; we know that. He’s starting to show it, and being in the final group will be fun. I actually haven’t played with him yet, so it’ll be fun to see how he plays the ball.”
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