Anthony Kim was, at one point, golf’s next big thing. He made a splash with his flashy belts and on and off the course antics, and then he got hurt. In 2012, Kim ruptured his left Achilles and after several other surgeries that had taken a toll on his body, Kim had a decision to make on whether or not he would return to the sport of golf and attempt to become the player everyone thought he would be, or collect an insurance policy worth a lot of money. The stipulation with the policy is that Kim could never play professional golf again because his injuries prevented him from doing so.
Kim then disappeared, completely. He hadn’t been seen or heard from by the public in years until a picture of him in Vegas surfaced earlier this year. Since resurfacing, many have been wondering what Kim has been up to and if he’s healthy enough for a return to the sport. After three years, Kim finally sat down for an interview with the Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson and gave people some answers to questions they’ve been wondering.
Kim on golf:
“Golf is a fond memory of mine,” Kim said Tuesday, his first interview in three years. “I’ve been watching more and more. I miss the competition a little bit. Watching these young guys like Jordan Spieth is bringing me back to watch.”
It’s sad to hear that golf is just a “memory” for a player who seemed destined to ascend up the ladder and become one of the fans favorites. Would watching these young guys like Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler motivate him to get back on the course and give it a shot?
“Here’s what I’m telling you today,” he said. “I’m going to step away from the game for a little while and get my body pieced together. Instead of going from an Achilles injury to try to go 180 mph and not fixing the problem … I’ve got so much ground to make up from injuries — rotator cuff, labrum, spinal fusion, hand injury. I’ve had six or seven surgeries in the last three-and-a-half years.”
Step away from the game? Where have you been for the last three years Anthony? What have you been doing that involves “the game?”
As Ferguson points out, Kim is involved in a business venture in Dallas with his friend and caddie Brodie Flanders. Apparently Kim’s investment in the company was recouped in months, so it doesn’t sound like he’s hurting for cash.
Still, Kim has been the subject of much scrutiny, mainly because he lived, or lives, a lavish lifestyle. It certainly was a topic while he was on Tour, and it still is today.
“If you don’t like the way I live, change the channel. You’re the one who tuned in here,” Kim said. “A lot of the golf public may not appreciate the way I live, which is by my own rules. But I give everyone respect. I’m not rude to anyone. And I treat everyone the same.”
As for that insurance policy that Kim is collecting:
“I paid well into the mid-six figures for the policy,” he said. “They wouldn’t have paid me every month had I not been to the doctors, showing them all my X-rays, doing all the treatment, the acupuncture, twice a day for physical therapy.”
And the question that everyone has been asking since Kim’s disappearance from the game, “Whatever happened to Anthony Kim,” his response was, “Ask me in two years.”
So, there you have it folks. Anthony Kim will not be returning to golf anytime soon, if you didn’t already realize that. He may not return at all, but it sure would be great to have this scene again at the Ryder Cup!
Anthony Kim after the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
from The Big Lead http://ift.tt/1L4xANT
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