Three-time PGA Tour winner Anthony Kim, who last played in a tournament in 2012 before injuries struck, could be poised to make a stunning return to the professional game; reports suggest Kim has held recent discussions with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf over a potential comeback
Friday 26 January 2024 12:25, UK
American Anthony Kim, who lit up the PGA Tour as a young star before injuries thwarted his promising career, is considering a stunning comeback to professional golf after 12 years away and has held talks with both the tour and LIV Golf, according to reports.
Golf.com reported on Thursday that Kim, now 38 who became something of a cult hero in his original career, has been ramping up his golf game and fitness regime in recent months and has been in discussions with both the PGA Tour, where he is a three-time winner, and Saudi-backed rival LIV about a possible return to professional play.
Kim, who reportedly even gave up golf for a period of time in the wake of his injuries, last appeared in a tour tournament in May 2012 at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he withdrew after the opening round.
He never returned to the tour after subsequent surgery on his Achilles tendon and disappeared from the public eye.
According to the report, LIV chief executive Greg Norman could be interested in signing Kim on a one-year contract and have him play as a 'wild card' rather than a member of one of the 13 four-member teams.
Any return for Kim would also reportedly mean he would forfeit a disability insurance policy that dates to his playing days, estimated at £7.85m [$10m].
Kim may not have played professionally for almost a dozen years, but his standing in world golf remains high owing to his achievements in his brief but fruitful time on tour.
Aged 21, Kim finished tied second in his first appearance as a professional on the PGA Tour at the Valero Texas Open, while he recorded four top-10 finishes in his first full season of 2007.
His first win, aged 22, came at the Wachovia Championship in May 2008, which he followed up with a second triumph at the AT&T National two months later.
That year he was also part of Team USA's Ryder Cup triumph at Valhalla, winning 2.5 points across the three days including an impressive 5&4 win over Sergio Garcia in the first of the Sunday singles.
Rising to a career-high world ranking of sixth, Kim then added a third title in 2010 at the Shell Houston Open. That year he also achieved his best finish in a major with third at The Masters, finishing four adrift of Phil Mickelson, before injuries started to affect his career and tournament appearances.
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