Anthony Kim secured his first professional victory in 16 years by winning the LIV Golf Adelaide event with a final-round 63. The 41-year-old rallied past Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau in Australia, marking a remarkable comeback following a 12-year hiatus from the sport. His coach, Matt Killen, described the achievement as golf's greatest comeback story.
Anthony Kim's victory at the 2026 LIV Golf Adelaide tournament capped a dramatic return to competitive golf. Kim, who last won in 2010 with three PGA Tour titles before turning 25, disappeared from public view starting in 2012 after dealing with alcohol and drug abuse, as well as injuries including thumb surgery and an Achilles tendon issue in 2011. He rejoined professional golf in February 2024 on the LIV Tour but struggled, finishing 56th out of 58 players in his first season and facing relegation in the second.
In early January 2026, Kim placed third in LIV's Promotions Event, earning a spot back in the league. Weeks later, he shot a 63 in the final round at Adelaide to overtake Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters champion, and DeChambeau, the 2020 and 2024 U.S. Open winner. The win, watched by coach Matt Killen from Florida around 2 a.m., highlighted Kim's resilience.
Killen, who coached parts of the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team and reconnected with Kim before his 2024 return, treated the comeback like rehabilitation from injury. 'You always have that little bit of a question... will I be able to do it?' Killen said, noting adaptations to Kim's physical changes. He praised Kim's confidence: 'He knew he was going to play good. That’s an intimidating opponent.'
The triumph drew comparisons to historic comebacks, including Ben Hogan's 1950 U.S. Open after a near-fatal accident, Tiger Woods' 2019 Masters following surgeries, and Phil Mickelson's 2021 PGA Championship at age 50. Killen, who worked with Woods in 2019, called Kim's story 'golf’s greatest comeback,' emphasizing his determination to prove himself to his wife, Emily, and daughter, Bella. 'He told me a long time ago that he wanted to show his daughter that he wasn’t a loser,' Killen shared. Post-win, Kim expressed uncertainty about his feelings, underscoring the emotional layers of his journey.
