The adversity one faces is hard to explain and even harder to bounce back from. Before addiction took hold, Anthony Kim had won three PGA Tour events before turning 25, joining Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Adam Scott as the only players in 30 years to achieve that feat. By 2012, however, he was grappling with the loss of his career and, more importantly, himself. Now, as he returns to golf sober, Kim has some hard-earned wisdom to share.
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“I think people would be very surprised to hear about how bad my addiction was. And one thing I’m here not to do is to glorify the bad behavior. Addiction is a real illness. Some people can consider it weak, and maybe it is, but I definitely fell into that trap at an early age.”
He also spoke about what rehab taught him and the promise he made to share his experience:
“And in rehab, I learned that you have to be honest with yourself and who you are. Face your demons head-on instead of burying them inside or using other substances to get away from those emotions and feelings.
“And I feel like the promise I made myself in rehab was to be able to tell my story to help other people…And in this way, even though my platform may not be huge now, the goal is to grow the platform so other people struggling can understand that with some hard work, some faith, and a little bit of God in your life, you can go a long way and recovery is possible.”
Kim’s road to recovery began at a difficult point. When he marked two years of sobriety in February 2025, he revealed that he could barely walk into rehab and needed help from his sober coach as his body was shutting down. He also recalled spending six days in the emergency room, where he promised himself he would show his daughter that it is never too late to keep trying.
His message here is simple: addiction can destroy lives, and he does not want others to go through what he did. He has made this point before. In a 2025 Instagram post, he said he was not telling everyone to get sober but wanted people who were letting addiction ruin their lives to know they can turn things around. In the same post, he wrote, “I am not proud of who I was, but I am today.”
His own career shows just how far he fell. Kim finished solo third at the 2010 Masters with a final-round 65, but a thumb injury kept him out for three months. By 2012, he had made just two cuts in 10 starts and withdrawn from his final three events. On May 3 that year, he left Quail Hollow, put his clubs in his car, and drove away.
For years, Kim offered little explanation for his absence. When he returned with LIV Golf in 2024, he told David Feherty that he had undergone multiple surgeries, been surrounded by bad people, and battled addiction. Doctors had also warned him that his condition could affect his ability to have children.
In fact, his return to competitive golf was far from an immediate success. Kim finished 56th out of 57 players in his first LIV season and was relegated after 2025. He then earned his place back through LIV Promotions, placing third. The breakthrough came in Adelaide in February. Five shots behind heading into the final round, he carded a 9-under 63 to beat Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, securing his first win in nearly 16 years.
After the win, Kim said he knew mainstream media might not pick up his story but hoped to be “a good example” to those who heard it. He also reminded people who were struggling that “you can get through anything.”
That said, LIV is now facing uncertainty. Kim admitted he has no clear answer on what comes next, but he is not worried. He pointed out that three years ago he never expected the phone calls that brought him back to pro golf and said he would stay ready because “I know an opportunity’s coming.”
Beyond golf, Kim is also working on a documentary about his life. Propagate Content has announced the project, directed by Jody McVeigh-Schultz, with Ben Silverman serving as executive producer. Kim hopes to release it next year and is looking for a partner who understands that it is about a person overcoming obstacles, not simply a golf comeback. He has promised to be open about what led to his struggles and how he found his way back.