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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
Anthony Kim, who blazed a red-hot trail on the PGA Tour for four seasons and then disappeared from public view after injuries derailed his career nearly a dozen years ago, has been in discussions with the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf League about returning to professional golf, sources confirmed to ESPN Thursday.
Kim, 38, made his last start on the PGA Tour when he withdrew after the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2012. He underwent surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury in his left leg the next month. He hasn’t played in a professional tournament since.
Golf.com first reported Thursday that Kim was mulling over the possibility of a comeback. Sources told ESPN that Kim has been ramping up his training in recent weeks.
According to sources, Kim is eyeing a potential return to pro tournaments sometime this spring. A sticking point in his comeback is that he collected at least part of a disability insurance policy that was reportedly worth $10 million to $20 million. He would probably be required to pay back a large portion, if not all, of the settlement he has collected.
Kim could play in non-signature events as a past champion or through exemptions on the PGA Tour. Golf.com reported that the LIV Golf League wasn’t initially interested in signing Kim to a contract, but that commissioner Greg Norman called him to begin negotiations on a potential one-year deal.
Even though Kim hasn’t played in more than a decade, he has still been the subject of great interest by golf fans. The former Oklahoma star turned pro in 2006 and tied for second while playing on a sponsor’s exemption at the Valero Texas Open in his first start.
Kim’s breakthrough came during the 2008 season when he captured his first PGA Tour victory at the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He won again at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, about two months later.
Kim was ranked as high as sixth in the world at the height of his career.
Kim is perhaps best known for his performance as a rookie in the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He walloped Spain’s Sergio Garcia 5 & 4 in the opening match of Sunday singles, helping lead the U.S. to a 16 ½-11 ½ victory, which ended the European’s streak of three straight victories in the international event.
Kim made 122 starts on the PGA Tour, making about $12.2 million in on-course earnings. His last victory came when he defeated Vaughn Taylor in a playoff at the 2010 Shell Open. A week later, he carded a 7-under 65 in the final round of the Masters and finished third, 4 strokes behind winner Phil Mickelson.
Along with the Achilles tendon injury, Kim was plagued by tendinitis in his left arm and a left thumb injury during his career.