The first fist pump came on the par-3 12th, the Watering Hole at LIV Golf Adelaide. Then came another on the 13th. And the 14th. And the 15th.
They might as well have been knockout punches. Because Anthony Kim left his opponents stunned, frazzled and dazed as he poured in putt after putt after putt.
Kim pulled off the improbable Sunday, coming from five shots behind LIV’s best two players in Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to begin the final round and win LIV Golf Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club for his first professional win in 5,795 days, or nearly 16 years. And the 40-year-old did it in dominating fashion, shooting 9-under 63 in the final round to blitzkrieg Rahm, DeChambeau and the rest of the field Down Under, finishing at 23 under.
“I don’t really know what to say right now,” Kim said. “It’s been overwhelming. But I’m never not going to fight for my family.
“God gave me a talent. I was able to produce some good golf today. I knew it was coming. Nobody else has to believe in me but me, and for anybody that’s struggling, you can get through anything.”
When the year began, Kim didn’t have a spot on a LIV roster. In his first start as a member of 4Aces GC, he’s now a LIV winner, and his comeback story is among the best in golf history.
Kim disappeared from not only golf but the public for more than a decade, dealing with surgeries and addiction before making his return in 2024 as a wildcard on LIV. In two seasons, he didn’t earn a single point in the league standings. He lost his playing privileges last year after being relegated, and his comeback effort seemed all but stifled. He wasn’t done. Kim earned them back finishing third in the LIV Promotions Event last month.
Last week, he placed T-22, his best finish for the league. Then before LIV Golf Adelaide, he signed with 4Aces to be on a team for the first time. Now he’s a champion, doing so in dominant fashion to return to the winner’s circle for the first time since the 2010 Shell Houston Open. And he did so in typical AK fashion: with plenty of flair and energy.
Kim tied Rahm’s lead with a birdie on the 12th, then he took the outright lead with another circle on the 13th. But he wasn’t done. He birdied 14 and 15, and all of the sudden his lead was three with three to play.
Rahm added a bit of pressure after a birdie on 16, but Kim comfortable knocked in a tester from 5 feet for par, keeping his advantage at two shots with two to play, but Kim poured in another birdie on the 17th to slam the door. He lifted his hands and putter to the air before yet another reaction, embracing the crowd almost as much as they encouraged him to the finish line.
The final margin was three over Rahm, who finished runner-up for the second straight week. With the win, Kim will move to around No. 200 in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest spot since July 2012. He also earns $4 million in prize money, and his final-round 63 tied the course record.
“I don’t really know how to put it into words,” Kim said. “I knew this was going to happen, but for it actually happen is pretty insane. I just want to thank all the people that have supported me, including you, who when I was not playing well and I was struggling on the verge of never coming back to LIV, always supported me. Thank you to everyone that’s been in my corner. I’m going to keep doing it.”
LIV Golf Adelaide also became the most-attended golf event in the country’s history, per premier Peter Malinauskas. More than 115,000 fans attended the four-day event at The Grange Golf Club.
But the story of the week belongs to Kim, who is back in the winner’s circle after disappearing from the golf world for a decade, nearly dying, overcoming addiction and not even having a job a little more than a month ago.
Fans surrounded the 18th green once Kim, Rahm and DeChambeau approached. It was a fitting celebration for one of the finest moments in the sport. Anthony Kim was a champion once again, but this time was so much different than the last.
