Anthony Kim overcame more than a five-shot deficit on Sunday at LIV Golf Adelaide en route to his first professional victory since the 2010 Shell Houston Open. Outplaying Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau in the final grouping, Kim fired a flawless final-round 63 to finish the tournament at 23 under and claim a three-stroke victory over the Spaniard. DeChambeau finished in a share of third place with Tyrrell Hatton and Peter Uihlein at 17 under.
“I want to be a good example,” Kim said. “I would say that I wasn’t the best person, the best partner, the best whatever you want to call it, the best son I could be when I was younger. But who I am today is a completely different person. With God, my family, my sobriety being the key things to my life, I can go as far as I want.”
One of only five golfers in 30 years to win three times on the PGA Tour before the age of 25, Kim participated in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup on behalf of the United States and held the record for most birdies in a round at the Masters.
He unofficially retired from the game in 2012 after tearing his Achilles, revealing in 2024 that — in the years that passed — he underwent treatment for multiple other injuries, including surgeries on his hand and spine. In 2025, he shared that he had been sober for two years after battling drug and alcohol abuse and contemplated suicide on multiple occasions across nearly two decades, “even when playing the PGA Tour.”
Despite long-running rumors that he would return to the game, Kim did not do so until joining LIV Golf in February 2024, playing his first tournament in 12 years that March. His victory Sunday was one of redemption.
Kim entered the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide five strokes behind Rahm and DeChambeau, tournament co-leaders with four major championships between them. It was assumed that those two would battle to the finish, but instead, Kim persisted.
While DeChambeau struggled early and often, Kim kept his cool and stayed at pace with Rahm, who had pushed the lead out to 20 under thanks to a birdie on the par-4 4th. Kim added one of his own on that hole and tacked on three more by the time the final trio made the turn. In the span of nine holes, Kim had cut the lead from five strokes to one. The battle on the back nine focused on Rahm and Kim with the latter ultimately outlasting the Spaniard.
Kim got stronger as the round progressed and pulled into a share of the lead at 19 under with a birdie on No. 12. Another came on the par-5 13th to give him his first solo lead of the afternoon before two more came on Nos. 14-15 and pull him well clear of Rahm with three holes to play. He added one more for good measure on the par-4 17th to put the tournament on ice and enjoy his stroll up the last.
“I know I can make a lot of birdies. I know my self-belief is second to none, Kim said. “Obviously, taking 12 and a half years off the game is a long time, and you have to build that confidence back. So, I guess from when I was in my 20s, I was never scared to play anybody. I’m not scared to play anybody now. I know this is just one golf tournament, but I believe in myself. That will never change.”
In 14 starts across LIV Golf and the Asian Tour in his 2024 return season, Kim never finished inside the top 30 of an event; his best effort came finishing 36th at LIV Golf Greenbrier. A similar output was produced in 2025 when Kim continued to play as a wildcard in the league while struggling. The electric right-hander failed to earn a point in the season-long individual race and finished outside the top 40 in 12 of his 13 starts on LIV Golf.
As such, Kim was kicked from the league through the relegation zone, only making his way back this January by qualifying through LIV Golf’s promotions event.
After two seasons of playing as an individual, and with Patrick Reed leaving the league, Kim found a roster spot on his first team, Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces. It marked another step in his comeback after years away from the game, a journey that was completed far sooner than many expected with an exclamation point put on it at this week’s LIV Golf Adelaide.
“Nothing is holding me back. Nothing is holding me back. I just have to keep working,” Kim said. “The 1% better every day thing is a mindset that I’m going to carry with me until the day I die. I don’t see why I can’t make it to the top again.”
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