Before Rory McIlroy came along, Anthony Kim was the next big thing but after a seemingly inexplicable 12-year disappearance from golf, the American has opened up about falling victim to “scam artists” and blackmail.
Kim will compete in LIV Golf Miami this week which will be his first appearance in the United States since 2012. ‘AK’ withdrew from the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship in May of that year and did not play another professional event until last month’s LIV Jeddah where he propped up the field after 54 holes.
Ahead of LIV Miami, Kim has opened up on some very dark moments in his life including numerous surgeries and battles with addiction, while also falling into a bad crowd who tried to exploit him.
“I’m not going to lie, I was around some bad people,” Kim said in an interview with LIV broadcaster David Feherty.
“People that took advantage of me. Scam artists. And when you’re 24 or 25, even 30 years old, you don’t realise the snakes that are living under your roof.”
“Until I became a father, I really didn’t feel that. Now I have a duty,” said Kim who revealed he has removed “98 percent” of the people who were around him during his previous playing days.
“I have a responsibility of taking care of my family and being the best role model I can be. That gives me a purpose every morning and I just didn’t have that before.
“I have an interesting relationship with golf. I don’t think I ever loved it. What’s very weird to me right now is that I’m falling in love with the game.
“That’s such a weird spot for me because golf was filled with pressure and lots of different emotions for me because my family had to go through a lot to give me this opportunity to play golf.
“With that added pressure I was willing to risk a lot more. That was my nature. I was aggressive on the course and I was aggressive off the golf course. And that led to my demise.”
Kim’s disappearance has long been rumoured to be because of an eight figure insurance policy he cashed in on, however, Kim said he was “not at liberty” to discuss it, which means part of the mystery rolls on.
“I know public perception is that I took this money and ran and decided I was just going to hang out,” he said. “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.”
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