Anthony Kim, golf star who disappeared from PGA Tour, planning return to pro golf: report

Anthony Kim was a budding star in professional golf before he shockingly disappeared from the PGA Tour after dealing with injuries.

Over a decade later, Kim, now 38, is reportedly planning a return. 

Golf.com first reported Kim has been training and working out while having discussions with “the PGA Tour, LIV and potential sponsors as he plots a way back.” ESPN reported that Kim is looking to return sometime in the spring. 

Those negotiations, though, have one main issue, as Golf.com reported Kim having collected at least some part of a disability insurance policy that has a range between $10-20 million. He would be required to pay back a large portion if not the entire amount he’s collected. 

Comparing the two leagues, Golf.com pointed out how Kim could be a sponsor exemption at certain events for the 2024 season while also competing in events he’s won in the past as a returning champion. 

According to Golf.com, LIV wasn’t initially interested in Kim’s return, but Dustin Johnson spoke for him, which led to CEO Greg Norman giving him a call. There’s a potential one-year deal to join LIV on a trial basis to see if it works out. 

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If all goes well, Kim could join a team in 2025, and perhaps create his own if his rabid following returns to the game.

The last time Kim competed was at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship when he was 26 years old. However, he withdrew from the tournament due to injury, which was his third straight withdrawal.

One month later, Kim had surgery to repair his left Achilles tendon, and then he wasn’t heard from in the golf world as many wondered whether he would be back at all.

Kim also dealt with tendinitis in his left arm and a left thumb injury during his 122 starts on the PGA Tour.

His four-season run on the PGA Tour made him a fan favorite quickly and someone who many believed could compete in any major he entered for years to come. 

The Los Angeles native finished third at the 2010 Masters and was tied-fifth at The Open Championship the following year.

After starring at Oklahoma, Kim participated in the 2006 Valero Texas Open as a sponsor exemption, finishing tied-second in his very first start after going pro. 

Kim won three PGA Tour events after that, the latest on April 4, 2010, in the Shell Houston Open, defeating Vaughn Taylor in a playoff. 

But perhaps Kim’s most memorable golf performance came as a 2008 Ryder Cup rookie for the United States, starting off the tournament with a bang after dominating Sergio Garcia 5&4 in match play. He helped lead the U.S. to a victory over the Europeans. 

At his peak, Kim was once ranked No. 6 in the world on the links.