Anthony Kim’s Adelaide Victory Changes the Narrative—But Major Glory Remains a Long Shot
I’ve been covering professional golf since 1989, and I can count on one hand the comebacks that genuinely moved me. Anthony Kim’s win in Adelaide last week ranks right up there with them.
Let me be clear about what happened Down Under: Kim didn’t just scrape together a victory at some second-tier event. He shot a final-round 63—bogey-free, mind you—against Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, two of the most talented players on the planet. In front of tens of thousands of fans. That’s not luck. That’s not a fluke. That’s a man rediscovering his game at a level that matters.
But here’s where I have to temper the enthusiasm circulating on social media and in the echo chambers of golf Twitter: winning a LIV event and winning a Major championship are separated by a chasm wider than most fans realize.
The Real Story Behind the Storybook Narrative
What strikes me most about this moment isn’t just Kim’s resilience—though Lord knows, his personal journey from addiction to sobriety to competitive relevance again is genuinely inspiring. It’s that the golf media and fan base are doing what we always do when emotion intersects with sports: we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Phil Mickelson recently suggested Kim deserves exemptions into all four Majors this year, and that “he wouldn’t be surprised to see Kim win one of the four big championships before calling time on his career.” Respectfully, I think Lefty—who knows a thing or two about Major championship golf—is letting sentiment cloud judgment here.
“Kim’s story has been truly remarkable and his comeback win is a moment I’ll likely never forget. Thanks to the 23 OWGR points he has earned, he has moved to within touching distance of the top-200 and an invitation into the PGA Championship now seems a very sensible idea as a LIV Golf tournament winner.”
That’s accurate reporting, but it glosses over a critical detail: Kim is still ranked outside the world’s top-200. To qualify for The Masters via the traditional route, he’d need to crack the top-50. For the PGA Championship, top-100 gets you in. The Open Championship and US Open? Those are qualifying tournaments where he’d have to battle it out against guys who’ve been grinding week-in, week-out on established tours.
In my three decades covering this game, I’ve watched plenty of feel-good stories at regular tour events fail to translate into Major success. Most players are capable of winning at one Major championship in their career, sure. But the consistency required? The mental fortitude? The ability to execute under pressure with the entire sport watching? That’s a different animal entirely.
The Age Factor and the Three-Year Window
Here’s something the optimists aren’t discussing enough: Kim is 40 years old. One of the expert analysts in the source material got this exactly right:
“The problem is that I think he will have to do it over the next three years, maximum. We know his body has been through a lot over the course of his life and even the most disciplined 40-year-olds struggle to battle it out at Majors on a consistent basis.”
That’s sobering stuff, but it’s also reality. Yes, we’ve seen Justin Rose play excellent golf into his mid-40s, and Phil won the PGA Championship at 51. Those are outliers, not the rule. When you factor in that Kim’s body has endured the wear and tear of addiction and recovery on top of the regular punishment of professional golf, the three-year window makes strategic sense.
Having caddied for Tom Lehman back in the ’90s, I learned that Major championship golf isn’t about one brilliant week. It’s about multiple weeks of consistency leading into those events, building confidence and rhythm. Kim’s won one LIV event and placed third at a promotions event. That’s a foundation, not a resume.
Why This Moment Still Matters
But—and this is important—I don’t want to diminish what Kim has accomplished. Winning a professional golf tournament after 16 years away and overcoming the personal demons he’s faced? That’s objectively one of the most impressive achievements in sports, Major championship or not.
What’s more, the PGA Championship inviting him would be shrewd business. The championship has struggled with its identity compared to the other three Majors, and a Kim appearance would generate legitimate interest. This wouldn’t be a charity case; it would be earned access to competitive golf’s biggest stage.
“The PGA of America, which runs the US arm of the Ryder Cup, has obvious history with AK, and it even sent out a post on X to congratulate him. The championship is struggling with its identity and interest compared to the other three showpiece events in the men’s game, and it always offers up invitations to fill out its large field.”
That’s smart analysis. An invitation makes sense from a competitive standpoint and a television standpoint.
The Uncomfortable Truth
What separates contending at a Major from winning one is the gap between your best game and your most mental toughness. Every tour player can shoot 65 in the right conditions. Winning a Major means shooting 65 when you’re two shots back on Sunday with Scottie Scheffler breathing down your neck.
Kim has shown remarkable mental resilience in his comeback journey. But Major championship golf against the current generation of elite players—the Schefflers, McIlroys, Rahms, and DeChambaults of the world—is a tier above what he’s faced at LIV.
My gut tells me Kim will qualify for at least one Major this year, likely the PGA Championship. I think he’ll make the cut. I think he might even flirt with contention. But winning? That remains a long shot. Not impossible. Not even improbable on one magical week. Just not the most likely outcome.
The beautiful thing about this game is that we get to find out. And after 35 years watching golf, I’m genuinely hoping Kim proves me wrong.
