What Happened to Anthony Kim? Uncovering the Truth Behind Golf’s Most Mysterious Disappearance

Anthony Kim’s stunning victory at LIV Golf Adelaide has finally answered the question fans have typed for years—“what happened to Anthony Kim?” After 16 seasons in competitive exile, the once-electrifying American closed with a course-record 63 to edge Jon Rahm and complete one of golf’s greatest comeback tales. THE LOST YEARS Kim’s disappearance began in 2012 when a torn Achilles followed chronic wrist and shoulder injuries. Rumors swirled about a multimillion-dollar disability policy that would be voided if he teed it up again, but Kim stayed silent and slipped off social media. From 2012-2023 he played zero PGA Tour rounds, surfacing only in grainy cellphone photos that confirmed he was alive but nowhere near tournament golf. THE ROAD BACK In early 2024 the 38-year-old startled the sport by accepting a wildcard spot with LIV Golf. The rust showed—finishes of 44th, 37th and 29th—yet flashes of the old swagger re-emerged. Kim rebuilt his swing with coach George Gankas, overhauled fitness, and joined Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces roster in 2025, gaining guaranteed starts and team support. By January 2026 he ranked 63rd on the LIV points list—hardly headline material, but miles from retirement. ADELAIDE BREAKTHROUGH Everything clicked this week in South Australia. Kim led the field in strokes-gained putting, poured in seven back-nine birdies on Sunday and fist-pumped like it was 2008 while the gallery chanted “A-K!” His aggregate 197 (-19) snapped a 5,844-day winless streak; the previous trophy on his mantel was the 2010 Shell Houston Open. “You can get through anything,” he told reporters, calling the moment “pretty insane”. WHY IT MATTERS 1. Major exemptions: The win secures Kim a berth in the 2026 Masters via LIV’s new top-three major pathway, setting up his first Augusta start since 2011. 2. Sponsorship surge: Apparel giant Nike, which never dropped him, is preparing a “Return of A-K” campaign for spring product launches. 3. Ratings boost: LIV’s Adelaide broadcast drew the league’s highest U.S. overnight share of the season, out-pacing last year’s finale. WHAT’S NEXT FOR KIM He plans to skip next week’s event in Singapore to rest but will headline LIV Houston in March—the city where his last PGA Tour win occurred. Beyond that, Kim says he’s “all-in on majors,” intent on rewriting a career that once seemed a tragic what-if. BOTTOM LINE What happened to Anthony Kim? Injuries, mystery, and a decade of silence. What’s happening now? A fiery rebirth that has vaulted him from forgotten prodigy to the sport’s most compelling storyline—and Google’s most-searched golfer today.