On May 4, 2012, Anthony Kim left a scoring trailer at Quail Hollow Club, placed his clubs in the trunk of his car, and disappeared from professional golf. For 12 years, the once-electric star faded from public view, his career seemingly over.
On Sunday in Australia, he completed one of golf’s most unlikely comebacks.
Playing before LIV’s largest and loudest gallery of the season at The Grange Golf Club, Kim delivered a vintage performance. Four consecutive birdies sparked leg kicks and fist pumps reminiscent of his swagger-filled peak years.
“I’m too old to be reacting like that,” the 40-year-old joked afterward, drawing laughter. “I think I pulled something in my hip.”
But beneath the humor was something deeper.
Kim has spoken openly about battling drug and alcohol addiction during his years away from golf — struggles so severe he considers it a miracle he survived. Sunday’s charge wasn’t just about chasing down Rahm; it was about confronting his past.
“Every putt that went in, I felt the struggle and I was overcoming it,” he said. “It was therapeutic.”
When the final putt dropped, his 4-year-old daughter Bella sprinted onto the 18th green and into his arms — a moment that eclipsed even the $4 million winner’s check.
“To share this moment — even though Bella won’t understand it now — one day she will,” Kim said. “For her to see her dad isn’t a loser was one of the most special moments of my life.”
Kim’s road back was anything but smooth. LIV Golf first signed him as a wildcard in 2024, where he routinely finished near the bottom of limited-field events. Even last season showed only incremental improvement — what he calls getting “1% better every day.”
He was relegated. He fought his way back through qualifying. A tie for fifth at the Saudi International offered hope. Then came another opportunity: Dustin Johnson signed him to the 4 Aces team after Patrick Reed departed the league.
In Adelaide, everything clicked.
Kim caught Rahm after nine holes and steadily pulled away. Rahm closed with a 71; DeChambeau stumbled with a 74 on a day when the field averaged 69.8. Kim’s three-shot victory marked his first since the 2010 Houston Open — his third and previously final title on the PGA Tour.
At his peak, Kim reached No. 6 in the world rankings and starred for the U.S. in the 2008 Ryder Cup, dismantling Sergio Garcia in singles at Valhalla. Now, after years in the wilderness, he has climbed back inside the top 200 thanks to LIV events earning ranking points.
For a league that recently lost marquee names, Kim’s resurgence felt meaningful. But inside the ropes, the victory resonated on a more human level.
“I cried,” said Australia’s Lucas Herbert.
“Man, he was a gun,” added Marc Leishman, who entered the PGA Tour during Kim’s rise. “To see where he’s come from — how close he was to not even being on this planet — it’s unbelievable.”
Mainstream headlines may have been dominated by the Winter Olympics, the Daytona 500 and the NBA All-Star Game. Kim knows that.
“I know the mainstream media might not pick it up,” he said. “But for the people who do hear about it, I want to be a good example.”
The brash prodigy who once seemed destined for superstardom vanished more than a decade ago. In his place stands a different Anthony Kim — sober, grounded, grateful — and once again, a champion.
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