Anthony Kim started a new chapter of his old life as he returned to the professional greens after 12 years. Twelve years from the last time he faced the camera and competed. Twelve years to him playing with greats like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Safe to say that a lot had transpired in his absence in the golf world, and the golfer himself had gone through a drastic shift.

From being compared to Woods to missing the game altogether, Kim’s life story is nothing but inspiring. Taking a brief look at what happened over the decade until he disappeared and made a return.

Anthony Kim’s surgery in 2010

Anthony Kim’s injury struggle has been an integral part of his career since 2010. That year, Kim, in a bid to play in the Ryder Cup again, missed out on three majors. While battling through a torn ligament in the thumb, Kim won his first PGA Tour title in two years(the Houston Open) and was third at the 2010 Masters.

However, things started to wind down, and he had to undergo a procedure to repair the ligament. In May, 2010, Kim’s left thumb was operated, and he subsequently missed the next two major events, that is US Open, and The Open, to recover from the surgery. The 38-year-old wished to make it to the Ryder Cup again since his 2008 experience “was probably one of the greatest moments” he has had in the game. Sadly, things didn’t work out in his favor and he moved on to 2011.

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2012: Various health struggles leading up to getting the insurance policy

Things started spiraling down in 2011 as Kim missed 14 cuts out of the 26 events he played and withdrew from one. By 2012, he was not only struggling on the course, but his physical health was declining as well. Before announcing the tendinitis in his left hand in May of 2012, Kim had already withdrawn from three back-to-back events.

But that was not all; a month later, in July, he suffered from another injury. While training, Kim ruptured his Achilles tendon badly. He went through another procedure and was predicted to be sidelined for the next 9 to 12 months.

Meanwhile, rumors were high that Kim received an insurance policy of $10 or $20 million, and that’s why he retired from golf. Eventually, 12 months of recovery extended to 12 years, and Kim did not return to the professional greens until 2024 in Jeddah with a totally different logo pasted on his apparel.

2024: Anthony Kim reveals his struggles and battles inner demons

While making the return, Anthony Kim expressed his wish to narrate his story. He recently did just that with LIV’s David Feherty. The 38-year-old recalled the past struggles he had hidden for 12 years. Kim talked about his battle with addiction and the surgeries that took up his life. He described, “I’ve had multiple shoulder surgeries. Hand surgery and spinal fusion [Tiger Woods also went through the same procedure], but had a lot of injuries and a lot of surgeries.“

But the past 12 years have been foggy for Kim; as he said, he “literally doesn’t remember” many things due to his addictive habits. However, a year and a half before his comeback, Kim started to improve things. It was also the time when Kim was informed by the doctor that he may never become a father due to his addictions. But in 2022, he welcomed his now 2-year-old daughter, Bella. But he didn’t think of playing golf again until early January.

2024: Kim’s current status 

In January, Kim received a call from LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, and he revealed that the PGA Tour reached out to him too. However, the reason behind his return was his wife, who wanted to learn golf. He decided to return to professional golf via LIV Golf in February at LIV Golf Jeddah. Evidently, with the number of injuries coupled with a 12-year break from golf, Kim didn’t play well at his first event. He was 53rd on the leaderboard. In his second start, Kim made a little progress and was 50th.

Read More: Anthony Kim’s 2YO Daughter Steals the Thunder in Miami; Dustin Johnson & Golf Fans Left in Awe: ‘Beautiful Family’

Now, he is prepared to compete in America for the first time since he last played professionally in 2012. Kim believes that he can achieve the success he was once expected to, saying, “I believe I can absolutely do it at that level again. I’m prepared more than ever for success.”

Will he, or will he not? That remains to be seen.

Read More: ‘No One Care’: Fans Trivialize Anthony Kim’s ‘Blackmailing’ Confession With Sarcastic Jabs