Twelve years ago, Anthony Kim vanished from professional golf as a three-time PGA Tour winner. When he resurfaced in 2024, he chose the tour everyone said was about money — but his reasons had nothing to do with dollars.

“LIV definitely gives you a little more freedom,” Kim revealed in a recent interview with Flushing It. “They’re okay with you being who you are.”

Freedom. A word that carries different weight when spoken by a man who spent nearly two decades battling suicidal thoughts, made porta-potty stops every few holes during major championships to feed an addiction, and watched his body shut down from years of drug and alcohol abuse. For Kim, freedom wasn’t about having a flexible schedule. It was about survival.

The PGA Tour operates on a merciless equation: miss the cut, earn nothing. Every weekend absence compounds into existential pressure — status threatened, sponsorships questioned, livelihood uncertain. For a recovering addict rebuilding stability alongside sobriety, that model mirrors the all-or-nothing psychology addiction itself breeds—one slip, and everything crumbles.

LIV Golf offered something structurally different: guaranteed starts, guaranteed income, no cuts. Kim could fail publicly without risking his stability privately. He could grind through rough rounds without wondering whether his family’s security hung on a four-foot putt.

That cushion wasn’t permanent. After finishing 55th of 61 players in 2025, Kim faced relegation. The freedom to struggle had limits — you still had to fight.

He did. At Black Diamond Ranch, Kim clawed through 72 holes, firing rounds of 66-69 over the weekend to finish at 5-under. His third-place finish earned him what two Wild Card seasons never could: legitimacy.

“This is a surreal moment for me because other people, obviously outside of my inner circle, doubted me,” Kim said post-round. “But I would be lying to say that I didn’t know if I would ever earn my way back.”

Greg Norman, who helmed LIV during Kim’s 2024 return, bet on a player others might have dismissed as damaged goods. Kim hasn’t forgotten. “Somebody’s really got to believe in you and your abilities to overcome, to get that opportunity,” he acknowledged. “I can’t say that he didn’t give me an amazing opportunity to get back to where I feel like I belong.”

But Kim’s support system extended beyond the man who signed him.

Top Stories

‘It Stinks’: Jordan Spieth Accuses Friends of Unfair Treatment During ‘Sponsor Exemption’ Storm

Tiger Woods’ Lavish Gift for 300 Guests During 50th Birthday Bash Makes Jaws Drop: ‘Will be Worth a Lot One Day’

Tiger Woods’s GF Vanessa Trump and Daughter Kai Steal the Spotlight at His 50th Birthday Bash

PGA Tour Takes Mercy on Brooks Koepka After $85 Million Penalty Left Ex-LIV Pro Distressed

PGA Tour Star Instantly Lost $82,000 from Winner’s Paycheck Due to Unfortunate Ruling

Anthony Kim’s road back: Why LIV Golf’s structure mattered

Phil Mickelson‘s advocacy tells its own story. After Kim’s August 2025 relegation, Mickelson wrote publicly: “You’ve worked really hard and made so much progress. I know you haven’t had the results you wanted, but you have so much to be proud of.” Following the Promotions’ finish, he called Kim’s journey “truly inspirational” — three messages across five months. Consistent backing, not reactionary applause.

That consistency matters. On February 20, 2025, Kim marked two years of sobriety — what he called “the biggest accomplishment of my life.” His daughter Bella, born roughly eighteen months before his 2024 return, anchors that accomplishment. “I’m not here to prove everyone wrong; I’m here to prove myself right,” Kim said after securing his 2026 spot. “This little girl right here is one of the reasons why.”

The 40-year-old now prepares for a season that means something beyond paychecks. He’s launching a YouTube channel, planning a documentary that will show “exactly how bad a shape I was in.” Vulnerability as identity. Authenticity as brand. Recovery made visible.

“I want to show my daughter that, hey, your old man can still do a little something,” Kim said.

When the 2026 LIV Golf season opens in Riyadh on February 4, Anthony Kim tees it up as a Wild Card who fought his way back. The structure gave him room to rebuild. Now comes the proving.