Key Takeaways From Anthony Kim's Revealing LIV Golf Interview

LIV Golfer Anthony Kim has lifted the lid on a number of hard-hitting issues from throughout his life in a fascinating interview with David Feherty called 'The Journey Back'.

The 38-year-old - who makes his first start on US soil in 12 years this weekend - was known as a mercurial figure during the first part of his professional golf career between 2006-2012 as a result of his aggressive style of golf and outlandish confidence.

Yet, according to the man himself, it was not always plain sailing and he endured several extremely difficult spells prior to signing for LIV earlier this year.

Throughout a 20-minute video which showed Kim and Feherty meeting up at a course near the former's home in Oklahoma City, the American-born player shared an array of surprising and hard-hitting stories about his life.

Kim began by revealing that he "really didn't leave the house" during the summer of 2012 and "watched a lot of reality TV", "ate a lot of food", and "hung out with his animals.

It turned out that his 'animals' included six dogs and a couple of monkeys. Kim said: "At one point, I had six dogs and two monkeys, so it was an animal house - literally and figuratively."

In a change of pace, Feherty turned Kim's attention to the injury settlement that was supposedly taken out by Kim and would allegedly offer the 38-year-old millions of dollars so long as he did not return to pro golf.

The three-time PGA Tour winner stated that he was "not at liberty to talk about the details of the settlement and what happened" but rejected the notion he took the money and was able to hang out.

Kim revealed that he had undergone several rounds of various surgeries - including spinal fusion surgery, the same procedure that Tiger Woods experienced in 2017.

Kim said: "I had multiple, multiple surgeries in a few years. My body is still not what it used to be." After being posed whether all of his surgeries involved his Achilles, Kim said: "No, shoulder surgeries, hand surgery, spinal fusion. I've had a lot of injuries and a lot of surgeries.

"I think I'm actually hitting the ball further now than when I left the game, so maybe some of this metal is helping. But I'm hoping I don't have any more surgeries upcoming."

After confirming he was approached by the PGA Tour in relation to potentially making a return to the US-based circuit, the California-born golfer reiterated that he had not picked up a club since 2012 and only resumed in earnest earlier this year after his wife Emily insisted she wanted to learn how to play.

Going on to explain that he has "an interesting relationship with golf" Kim said that he wasn't sure if he ever loved golf but believes he is now "falling in love with the game."

"That's such a weird spot for me because golf was filled with pressure. Golf was filled with lots of different emotions for me because my family had to go through a lot to give me this opportunity to play golf.

"So with that added pressure, I was willing to risk a lot more - that was my nature. I was aggressive on the golf course, I was aggressive off the golf course, and that led to my demise."

Kim revealed that after the plethora of injuries, he "had no self worth" and would constantly "get in my own way" due to having so much time to think. He acknowledged that he was in a dark place for much of the time before he became a dad to his daughter, Bella.

The 38-year-old said: "[The injuries] definitely didn't help. It gave me a lot of time to think and get in my own way, get in my own head, think about what I was doing with my life. Sure, I was making some money and I was playing some golf and I was travelling the world, but I had no self worth until I became a father - I really didn't feel that.

"Now, I have a duty and a responsibility of taking care of my family and being the best role model for my daughter that I can be. That gives me purpose every morning, and I just didn't have that before."

Throughout the interview, Kim was open about his mental struggles and admitted that he "knew he needed help for a long time." Yet, it wasn't until he had completed "lots of conversations with important people in my life" that he got help, eventually starting to turn his life around "about a-year-and-a-half ago" with the help of his wife and mother, in particular.

Clearly the most important entity in Kim's life - and a common subject throughout the interview - is Kim's daughter, Bella. But potentially the most shocking revelation from Kim was that he was told he could not have children by a doctor in the years before his daughter's arrival.

Kim said: "She's my everything. Obviously, my relationship with my wife is unbelievable and I can't thank her enough. I owe so much to her. But a lot of the inspiration comes from Bella. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to be a dad.

"I wasn't expecting to be able to have a child." Pressed on why by Feherty, Kim continued: "Lot of things. I lost faith in a lot of things, in myself. On top of that, the doctor said that I wouldn't be able to have a child because of all of the things my body has been through.

"That was very disappointing and made me feel even smaller than I had felt originally, but this blessing happened and now I'm getting to experience this. Thank God she looks like her mom! I'm so grateful to have both of those women in my life. I wake up with a feeling of gratitude every morning."

Following a brief chat about the emotion of making his LIV debut in Jeddah, Kim once again discussed his storied past and whether he had - as it appeared to most of the outside world - actually enjoyed himself.

He responded: "That's a tough question because I thought I was having a great time, and I don't remember any of those times. When I say that, I mean I literally don't remember any of those times. The mind is a very tricky, scary place, and unfortunately I didn't handle it well before."

Feherty asked Kim about his circle of friends then and now and whether he had remained close with many of the people he used to know. Kim confirmed that he had shed "98% of the people that were around me."

He went on to say: “I’m not going to lie, I was around some bad people,” Kim said. “People that took advantage of me. Scam artists. And when you’re 24 or 25, even 30 years old, you don’t realize the snakes that are living under your roof.”

Looking forward to the future, Kim is confident that he "absolutely can" compete at the top level again with enough time and practice and his his sights set on becoming a LIV Golf team captain in the near future.

Discussing his aims, Kim finished the interview by saying: "The goal is to make a team and ultimately be a team captain at one point. I know the results haven't been great, but I'm very confident in my abilities. And, working on the right things, I'll be able to get there.

"At this point, I'm just worried about finishing the 18 that's in front of me. I know I have bigger goals that I'll keep to myself for now... I'm just going to play every shot the best I can and see where the results end up."

Watch the full interview with Anthony Kim on LIV Golf +.