Anthony Kim thanks “higher power” for his family, sobriety, and friends in an emotional post
Anthony Kim had long been dubbed as 'golf's yeti' until he made his return to professional golf through the LIV Golf league earlier this year. He had been on a hiatus from the sport since suffering an achilles injury in 2012.
Post his return, Kim said that he struggled with multiple injuries, addiction, and had wrong people around him. However, he credited his wife, Emily, and two-year-old daughter, Bella, for helping him put his life in order.
Kim now seems to be thriving as he took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank the "higher power" for his family, sobriety and friends in an emotional post.
"I wanna thank the higher power 4 blessing me w my family, #sobriety, & support from friends & strangers who relate 2 falling down & trying 2 do better. Having #gratitude is something I learned about in rehab & helps me be a better person & #girldad. #mentalhealth," Kim posted.
In an interview with David Feherty that was published on LIV Golf Plus, he thanked his wife and daughter. In fact, it was his wife who suggested he take up golf again, that prompted him to return to the sport.
"I'm so blessed to have both of those women in my life. I wake up with a feeling of gratitude every morning."
According to The Guardian, Kim said that the birth of his daughter made him want to turn his life around to be there for her.
"I owe a lot to my wife and to my mom, and really, mostly my daughter. When she was born, she came a few months early and the fight that she went through was hard to watch. In that moment, I realized that I have to change my life and the things that I’m doing if I’m going to be able to support her, not financially, but emotionally just be there for her."
Anthony Kim is currently playing as a wildcard in his debut season at LIV Golf. That means he can take part in the individual events, but his points will not be considered for the team standings. He made his first appearance at the Jeddah event in Saudi Arabia in February this year.
"Golf is important to me and not important to me at the same time" - Anthony Kim
US golfer Anthony Kim made big waves after turning professional in 2006. He won his first PGA Tour event at the age of 22 in 2008. His performances early in his career even saw him earn comparisons with Tiger Woods.
But that fairytale was not meant to be. Kim's career was marked with several injuries. In 2012, he pulled out of the Wells Fargo Championship due to an achilles injury, and remained out of the sport for 12 years. Several media reports and rumours made rounds regarding his well-being. However, he lived an extremely private life and had gone almost radio silent.
In his interview with David Feherty, Kim spoke about his complicated equation with golf. He said:
"Golf is important to me and not important to me at the same time. I've had some very dark moments. I've had some very low moments. I've felt very alone, even when there's a million people around. I needed to get my mind straight and figure out what my purpose was on this planet."
He further shared what led to the end of his flourishing career.
"Because my family had to go through a lot to give me this opportunity to play golf. So with that added 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 demise."
Anthony Kim also addressed the stories about him receiving a big insurance payout after his injury. He shared that he battled multiple injuries and also underwent a number of surgeries.
"I know public perception is that I took this money and ran and decided I was just going to hang out. That wasn't the case at all. I had multiple, multiple surgeries in a few years. And my body is still not what it used to be."
Kim further added that he was surrounded by bad company and didn't realize it at the time.
"I was around some bad people. People that took advantage of me -- scam artists. And when you're 24 or 25, even 30 years old, you don't realize the snakes that are living under your roof. But through the grace of God, I'm here. I'm able to tell my story, hopefully inspire other people."
For almost 12 years, Anthony Kim had been a mythical name for golf enthusiasts around the world. While everyone wondered where he was, he had been fighting emotional and physical struggles in privacy. And now after overcoming all these hurdles, he is back on the greens again.