Anthony Kim added a stunning-yet-true chapter to his storybook return to professional golf by winning LIV Golf Adelaide on Sunday.
The 40-year-old American came from five strokes back after three rounds with an emphatic three-shot victory after his bogey-free round of nine-under 63 at The Grange Golf Club.
“I really don’t know what to say right now,” said Kim, who has been open and honest about his past struggles and how he got sober. “It’s been overwhelming. I’m never not going to fight for my family.
“God gave me a talent and I was able to produce some good golf today. I knew it was coming. Nobody else has to believe in me but me. For anybody who’s struggling, you can get through anything.”
The build-up to Sunday focused on Jon Rahm of Spain and American Bryson DeChambeau, co-leaders at 19 under after three rounds and arguably LIV Golf’s biggest stars. Kim, at 14 under, was somewhere out of the frame even though he was in third place.
The current stars were basically left in his dust, as Kim carded birdies at the fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth, then a run from hole 12-15 and on the par-four 17th as an exclamation point to his first professional win in nearly 16 years since the 2010 Shell Houston Open on the PGA Tour.
“I knew this was going to happen, but for it to actually happen is pretty insane,” Kim said. “Thank you to everyone that’s been in my corner. I’m going to keep doing it.”
Rahm shot one-under 71 to finish three strokes back at 20 under for his second consecutive second-place finish.
“In a weird way, as a competitor, I probably shouldn’t say this, but that was a joy to watch,” Rahm said of Kim. “To see that image on 18 of him hugging his wife and daughter, any man with a soul is going to have a soft spot for that. I was almost tearing up.”
DeChambeau posted a two-over 74 to fall to a tie for third with England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67 on Sunday) and Peter Uihlein (68) of the United States.
Anthony Kim embraces his wife and daughter
Kim’s bogey-free effort – which tied the course record – followed rounds of 67, 67 and 68. He collected the $4 million prize for first place.
His tournament performance is all the more impressive because of his journey to be in this position, which was his first start as a member of 4Aces GC.
Kim joined Dustin Johnson’s LIV Golf team before the second event of the 2026 season, replacing Patrick Reed on a full-time basis.
The one-time rising star, who turned pro in 2006, returned from a 12-year hiatus in 2024 and played the past two seasons on this tour as a wild card. However, he was relegated after the 2025 season and had to go through the Promotions event, where he made the cut on the number before finishing third to regain his place in the league.
But it wasn’t until Reed announced his intention to return to the PGA Tour that a spot on a team finally opened up for Kim. It wasn’t an automatic yes for Kim, who said he was drawn to the 4Aces because he likes Johnson and fellow new team-mates Thomas Pieters and LIV newcomer Thomas Detry.
A three-time winner across six seasons on the PGA Tour in his 20s, Kim had Achilles tendon surgery in 2012 and has been open about his rehab from drug and alcohol addiction during his hiatus from professional golf.
Kim failed to finish better than 36th and placed 50th or worse in five of 11 LIV Golf events in 2024. He played in 13 events last year, with a T25 in Dallas and a T29 in Miami his only finishes better than T44.
Kim wound up in the relegation zone, and it appeared his LIV Golf days could be numbered. But he rebounded to earn a wild-card spot in the Promotions event and then was signed to 4Aces after opening the season with a T22 in Riyadh last week.
In addition to his T22 last week, Kim closed out 2025 with a T5 at the PIF Saudi International. He has risen from 4,221st in the Official World Golf Ranking two years ago to No. 847, and that climb can continue with LIV players now receiving world rankings points for top-10 finishes. The win Sunday will boost Kim that much more up the rankings.
“If it wasn’t one of us this week, to have (Kim) win here in Adelaide at our premier event is pretty cool,” said Cameron Smith, team captain of all-Australian Ripper GC. “I’m so happy for him. He’s worked hard.
“I actually played with Anthony his first round back in Saudi a few years ago, and it was scrappy to say the least, and I was very skeptical at the start. But what he’s been able to do over the past couple of seasons and dig deep and grind out and then do what he did today is pretty special.”