‘I Don’t Think I Ever Loved It’: Anthony Kim Gets Brutally Honest About His ‘Weird’ Relationship With Golf

The return of Anthony Kim to the greens was a bustling affair for the Saudi-backed circuit. The man who was once considered to be the next Tiger Woods of the golf world was finally ready to share his story. Kim’s life on the course hasn’t been the easiest, with a lot of pressure mounted on him from an early age by his own father. As per ESPN back in 2007, the now-38-year-old explained how the father-son relationship saw many phases and how he reconciled with his father after earning a card on the PGA Tour.

So, initially, playing golf felt more like a responsibility than a passion for Kim. And that didn’t make him love the game as much as he would have wanted to. A snippet from the soon-to-be-released show, The Journey Back: Anthony Kim, displays the ever-changing relationship of Kim and golf.

Anthony Kim is loving golf the second time around

Anthony Kim returned to golf after 12 years of hiatus, and plenty of things had changed drastically from when he played in 2012. First and foremost, the inception of his now-new home—LIV Golf. Moreover, the last 12 years saw many new faces emerge on the American golfing landscape who have gone on to make a mark in the history books of golf. David Feherty from LIV Golf asked Kim whether he followed the sport while away from golf. To which, Kim explained why he stayed away from golf, for how long he did, and why maybe didn’t get involved during the hiatus.

The LIV golfer expressed, “I have an interesting relationship with golf. I don’t think I ever loved it.” It was shocking, to say the least, but golf for Kim twelve years ago was filled with pressure as he further divulged why he wasn’t a fan at first. However, things have certainly changed, as he said, “What’s very weird to me right now is that I’m falling in love with the game.”

Furthermore, he recalled why things were different when he debuted in 2006. Kim elaborated, “That’s such a weird spot for me because golf was filled with pressure, golf was filled with lots of emotions for me.” Kim detailed that for him to debut as a pro, his family had to go through a lot. He appreciated their sacrifices and said, “I think there’s so many untold stories of sacrifice that families make for their child or children trying to make it to the pros”

However, coming from a background where his parents sold their house in Las Vegas to settle him in Palm Beach so that Kim could play golf better, had put him under immense pressure. Kim, now 38 years old, believes that it led to his rapid success and equally rapid downfall.

Anthony Kim reveals what led him to retire from golf so soon

With the pressure to make it big, Anthony Kim wanted to prove and make his family’s sacrifices count. He said, “With that added pressure, I was willing to risk a lot more. That was my nature.” Kim wanted to accomplish things faster and give back to his parents. In that plan, he got aggressive.

Read More: ‘Barely Makes the Cut’: Fans Mock Anthony Kim’s ‘Unique’ Style Amid Rusty Comeback

Kim explained, “I was aggressive on the golf course. I was aggressive off the golf course and that led to my demise.” Ill fate struck Kim in 2012 when he had to permanently remove himself from golf because of his many injuries, including the ripping of his Achilles tendon. However, now he is back on the course once again with a newfound love for the game and less pressure, maybe the second time is the charm for Kim.

Read More: Unveling Anthony Kim’s Major Aim Behind Breaking 12-Years Hiatus