Anthony Kim Spent 12 Years In A Bizarre Disability Insurance Limbo. He Took A Huge Risk Coming Back. And Just Won $4 Million

By Brian Warner on February 15, 2026 in Articles › Sports News

In a stunning turn of events that looked like it was scripted for the movies, Anthony Kim captured the headlines again on Sunday by winning LIV Golf Adelaide, securing his first professional victory in nearly 16 years and taking home an estimated $4 million payday. Playing in front of a festive Australian crowd at The Grange Golf Club, Kim closed with a blistering 9-under-63, cruising to a three-shot victory — his best competitive result since the 2010 Houston Open.

Kim's round was an exercise in scorecard dominance: four straight birdies through Nos. 12–15, clutch putts from distance, and the kind of confident rhythm that once made him one of golf's most electrifying talents. When the dust settled, the 40-year-old American wasn't just a tournament winner — he was a comeback story in a sport that thrives on narratives of resilience and reinvention.

But it wasn't that long ago that Anthony Kim was in one of the strangest financial limbos in sports history. For years, he wasn't known for his swing, or his putting, or even his Ryder Cup heroics. He was known for the baffling calculus that, at one point, made him worth more injured than he was playing the sport he loved.

The Rise, The Injury, and The Insurance Decision

Kim burst onto the professional scene in the mid-2000s with the sort of early results that get golf fans and sponsors salivating. He won three PGA Tour events before age 25, set scoring records, and helped anchor the United States to a Ryder Cup win. He reached as high as No. 6 in the world rankings and earned more than $12 million in official PGA Tour prize money during that initial run.

Then the injuries came. Wrists. Elbows. Achilles surgery. By 2012, his career income cratered, dropping from well over $1 million in earnings to a mere $34,000. And behind the scenes, Kim had a disability insurance policy that promised a tax-free payout approaching the high teens of millions of dollars if he was permanently unable to play. The terms were simple: as long as he remained incapable of competitive golf, the policy stood. The moment he played again, it didn't.

For a time, the logic of the situation was almost clinical: why subject a damaged body to more stress when the guaranteed money was worth more than the uncertain upside of competition? In many minds, Anthony Kim had quietly crossed the threshold from pro athlete to actuarial headline.

Francois Nel/Getty Images

Return To Competition — And A New Financial Reality

Then the rumor mill began. In 2024, Kim made his first appearance in years at a competitive event. He said his golf was "nonexistent" just three years earlier. Suddenly, he was back on the range. But this wasn't a nostalgic feel-good moment — this was a calculated reentry.

Kim's return on the LIV Golf circuit wasn't seamless. In 2024 and 2025 combined, he earned just over $2 million across events, and at times looked like a veteran rediscovering his game. Yet behind the scenes, the financial dynamics had shifted. Sources familiar with the situation say that the act of competing voided any future disability insurance payments, and LIV Golf effectively structured his signing bonus — reported between $5 million and $10 million — to offset the loss of that insurance cushion.

In practical terms, Kim didn't have to write back a huge check to an insurer. Instead, the policy was rendered null for future payouts once he played competitively again, and LIV helped bridge the gap so that the financial risk of returning was tempered. He had bet on himself — and now he's winning.

A Second Chapter With Real Upside

With his victory in Adelaide, Kim's career earnings have climbed to approximately $19.1 million. And that's just competition earnings — separate from what he may have collected from Nike deals, LIV signing money, or disability settlements.

For perspective: