PHOENIX – Christina Kim is eager to make her first start in more than four months.

Kim, who has not played a tournament since the Mizuno Classic last November, is recovering from a torn tendon in her right elbow/forearm. She will tee it up in Thursday’s start of the JTBC Founders Cup, hopeful she is on her way back to finding the form that helped her win two LPGA titles and make three Solheim Cup teams.

“I can’t recall wanting it so badly,” Kim said. “I’m not playing afraid anymore.”

Kim is excited about her form and eager to take it into tournament play.

“I’m finally pain free,” Kim said. “I’m really happy and feeling mentally and physically healthy.”

Kim, who has been open about a battle with depression in her recent past, turned 30 last weekend. She’s excited that doctors discovered the source of pain from her right elbow through her right forearm this offseason and treated her for it. The pain has plagued her the last three seasons. Doctors officially diagnosed a tear in her lateral epicondyli. She said a platelet spinning treatment worked wonders.