Anthony Kim’s Adelaide Victory Reminds Us Why We Love This Game
I’ve been covering professional golf since 1991, and I’ve seen plenty of remarkable moments—some joyful, some heartbreaking, and some that simply defy belief. But sitting down to write about Anthony Kim’s three-shot victory at LIV Golf Adelaide, I found myself genuinely struggling to find the right words. Not because they don’t exist, but because this story operates on a different plane than typical sports narratives.
Kim’s nine-under final round to eclipse Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau wasn’t just a golf tournament result. It was a vindication of the human spirit that transcends the sport itself. And in an era where golf—particularly LIV Golf—has faced its share of skeptics and cynics, that matters.
The Numbers Tell Part of the Story
Let’s establish the facts first: Kim hadn’t won since the 2010 Shell Houston Open—a span of 16 years. He stepped away from professional golf in 2014 to battle addiction to drugs and alcohol. He spent a decade essentially out of the sport, a period during which most professional athletes would have simply vanished into private life. Yet in 2024, he returned to golf as a reserve on the LIV circuit. He lost his card at season’s end, had to fight through international qualifying just to earn another chance, and then joined Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team earlier this week.
That trajectory alone—the incremental climb back—reveals something the headlines often miss. This wasn’t a magical moment that suddenly appeared. This was years of deliberate, unglamorous work that nobody was watching.
What Makes This Different
In my three and a half decades covering professional golf, I’ve witnessed comebacks before. Tom Watson nearly won the Open Championship at age 59. Tiger’s 2019 Masters redemption will stand as the sport’s greatest individual triumph for a generation. But what strikes me about Kim’s story is the intersection of personal redemption and athletic performance.
“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.”
When Kim said that in his post-round interview, he wasn’t offering platitudes. Having caddied for Tom Lehman back in the ’90s, I learned to recognize authenticity in this game. You can’t fake the mental clarity required to shoot a 63 under pressure. You certainly can’t fake three years of sobriety while grinding through qualifying tournaments nobody watches.
The social media response speaks volumes about how broadly this resonates. Barstool Sports posted: “Four Aces Anthony Kim is one of the greatest comeback stories in sports. Stepped away from golf in 2012 from an Achilles injury and personal reasons Relegated from LIV then earned his spot back in January. Gets his first win in over 15 years.” Another account noted: “Anthony Kim makes 9 birdies for a final round 63 to win LIV Golf Adelaide by 3 shots over Jon Rahm. He didn’t play golf for 12 years. Was relegated. Re-qualified. Now he’s won. This is one of the greatest comeback stories in sporting history.”
Even more tellingly, a PGA Tour fan posted: “I’m a PGA fan. I’ve never connected with the LIV product. But if anyone tries to downplay what Anthony Kim just did, shame on you. This is one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports.”
The LIV Question
Here’s where I’m going to be candid: LIV Golf has faced legitimate criticism regarding its Saudi backing, its fracturing of professional golf’s traditional structure, and its occasional overselling of mediocre fields as championship events. Those conversations are important and ongoing.
But Anthony Kim’s victory in Adelaide is precisely the kind of human story that reminds us why we care about professional golf in the first place. It doesn’t excuse LIV’s structural controversies, but it does demonstrate that the league provides a stage where remarkable narratives can unfold. Kim likely wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity—multiple chances to rebuild, a path back after relegation—on the PGA Tour with its stricter conditional status rules.
In my experience, golf at its best isn’t about politics or business models. It’s about individuals testing themselves against competitors and the course, seeking mastery and redemption.
What We Shouldn’t Overlook
One element that deserves emphasis: Kim’s honesty about his struggle. He didn’t hide from the addiction narrative or pretend the past decade didn’t happen. Instead, he owned it completely.
“For anybody that’s struggling, you can get through anything.”
That’s not something you hear often from professional athletes, and it matters. In an era where mental health awareness is finally gaining traction in sports, Kim’s willingness to discuss his demons openly—and then demonstrate that recovery is possible—carries weight beyond golf.
The victory itself was impressive enough: holding off two of the game’s premier talents (Rahm has been extraordinary this season, and DeChambeau is always dangerous) required both skill and nerve. But it’s the context that elevates this moment.
Looking Forward
I’m genuinely curious how this affects Kim’s trajectory. One victory doesn’t guarantee sustained success—the road ahead will be challenging. But he’s now proven, under maximum pressure with genuine contenders breathing down his neck, that he belongs at this level. That’s no small thing.
For LIV Golf, this is the kind of authentic human story that transcends the league’s contentious origins. Regardless of one’s position on Saudi golf investment or the PGA Tour merger negotiations, nobody can deny the power of Kim’s narrative.
After 35 years in this business, I’ve learned that golf’s enduring appeal stems from moments exactly like this one—where talent, perseverance, and second chances intersect on a Sunday afternoon Down Under. Anthony Kim’s Adelaide victory belongs in that rarified category of sports moments that matter for reasons extending far beyond the scoreboard.
