Anthony Kim's Shocking LIV Win: A Golf Comeback for the Ages?
So, Anthony Kim. Damn. He actually did it. Came back. Won a damn golf tournament. LIV Golf Adelaide, no less. Chased down Rahm and DeChambeau like it was just another Tuesday. Twelve and a half years. Gone. Poof. Then he shows up and wins. What the hell do we make of this? Is this some kind of monumental moment? Bigger than Tiger’s 2019 Masters? Is Rory still the king of comebacks? Or is this AK thing something else entirely? Let’s break it down.
The Unbelievable Return: More Than Just a Win
Look, let’s get one thing straight. This wasn’t just some random dude winning a minor event. This was Anthony Kim. Remember him? The guy who was supposed to be the next big thing. Cocky, talented, fun to watch. Then he just… disappeared. Nobody knew where he went. What happened. He was like golf’s Bigfoot. A myth. And then, bam, he’s back, and he’s winning. Against Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, no less. You can’t write this stuff. It’s wild.
Some folks are saying this is the most impressive win since Tiger’s 2019 Masters. Others are scoffing. And yeah, maybe it’s not *that* big in the grand historical scheme of things. LIV Golf… it’s not the Masters. It’s not the Ryder Cup. Most serious golf fans, the ones who actually care about the game’s legacy, probably aren’t losing sleep over who won LIV Adelaide. It just doesn’t carry the same weight. The event itself, for the purists, is a bit of a sideshow.
But here’s the thing. As an *individual achievement*? This is massive. Absolutely monumental. When you consider what Kim went through, the sheer amount of time he was out of the game, the fact that nobody, and I mean *nobody*, saw this coming… it’s mind-blowing. He was in the wilderness for over a decade. No signs of life. No indication he’d ever compete again, let alone win. And then, under immense pressure, with two of the game’s biggest names breathing down his neck, he pulls it off. That’s not just a win. That’s an epic feat. It had the weight of a major, for him, for sure. And he came through. That’s what makes it so damn compelling.
Let’s not get ridiculous, though. No, Anthony Kim winning a LIV event does not rank as the most impressive or biggest victory since Tiger at the Masters. Hell, it doesn’t rank even in the top 10 if we’re talking pure historical significance. But the context? The personal journey? That’s where this win shines. It’s wildly impressive given the depth of his personal strife and the length between pro victories. It’s a story of overcoming something truly immense. And for a lot of fans, that resonates more than another major championship.
Why Should You Care About AK's Comeback?
There’s a whole generation of golf fans out there who started watching the game when Anthony Kim was already gone. They don’t remember the hype. They don’t remember the swagger. They just know the name, maybe. So why should they think this victory is important? Why should they care?
Because this guy was *the man* on the PGA Tour for a while. Young. Cocky. Talented. Fun. He was exactly the kind of player you’d expect to see a young fan latch onto. His mysterious absence? It only added to the legend. He hadn’t exactly been tearing it up on LIV in the lead-up, but seeing his story get this kind of fairytale ending, even if he doesn’t win again, is just damn good. It’s a feel-good moment in a sport that can sometimes feel a bit… sterile.
Think about it. Golf doesn’t usually let you just walk away for a decade and then waltz back in like nothing happened. You don’t get to just leave the game entirely, stay away for twice as long as you played it for a living, and then pick it up again like you never missed a beat. The golf gods, they don’t typically play like that. But Kim did. He defied the odds. He proved that sometimes, against all logic, you can come back from the brink.
For those of us who were around back then, who knew of him but didn’t really *know* him, this victory is fascinating. It takes a golfer of unusual talent to fall to his depths and then return. He is that golfer. Even if his resume doesn’t fully reflect it, his talent is undeniable. And that makes his story, and this win, so much more captivating. It’s a testament to raw ability and sheer force of will.
What's Next for Anthony Kim?
So, the million-dollar question: What’s next for AK? Was this a one-off? A fluke? Or is he here to stay among the top tier of players?
It’s probably too early to say he’s going to contend every single week. Let’s be real. But the fact that he even made it through LIV Promotions to secure a spot for 2026 tells you something. His game has been improving. He’s been putting in the work. This win is going to do wonders for his confidence. It’s going to be a really fun storyline to follow this year. Will he maintain this level? Can he build on it? The golf world is watching.
The only thing predictable in professional golf these days is Scottie Scheffler. Everything else is a damn guessing game. But this is the kind of on-course story we’ve been missing. Most of the drama around LIV has been about who’s joining, who’s leaving, the lawsuits. This is about actual golf. Actual competition. Actual human triumph. And that’s refreshing as hell.
Hopefully, we see a few more wins. If you’re a golf fan who actually cares about the growth of the game, about compelling narratives, then one planet-shattering victory like this is great. But ten of them? Now that’s something to get excited about. It’s a reminder that golf, for all its corporate gloss and political drama, can still produce moments of pure, unadulterated magic.
Morikawa's Pebble Beach Redemption: A Sign of Things to Come?
Switching gears to the PGA Tour. Collin Morikawa. Birdied the 72nd hole to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. First win in 2.5 years. What did we see there? For Collin, this win came out of nowhere. He missed the cut in Hawaii, tied for 54th in Phoenix. Didn’t exactly look like a contender. But his 2025 results, if you dig a little, show he wasn’t lost. 18 of 21 cuts made, 13 top 25s. Not bad.
It’s always going to come down to the putter for him. And Pebble Beach, with those Poa annua greens, they’re unpredictable as hell. But he’s a prime candidate for a bounce-back. He’s got the talent. He just needs to find that consistency on the greens.
Morikawa played a lot of good golf last year, but he seemed edgy, agitated. Just a hair off. Remember Russell Henley chipping in on him at the Arnold Palmer? Brutal. He looked like his old self for much of this week, though. But there were still some iffy moments. His chipping, that’s always been a relative weakness. He flubbed one on 14. And then, on 18, he chose to putt from a slightly shaggy lie. Interesting. Some guys would have chipped. Makes you wonder about his confidence around the greens. But hey, a win’s a win. And while we haven’t heard much from Cantlay or Homa lately, Morikawa seems like the guy most likely to reassert himself in 2026.
I was super impressed with Collin’s week. Not just because he played great golf when it counted on the weekend, but because he did it despite a genuine weakness with his putter. It’s not a long-term winning formula to play great but putt like hell and still win. But Scottie Scheffler has shown us how far a little confidence with the flatstick can go. Morikawa’s win is a massive confidence booster, and that could be the spark he needs.
Pebble Beach Blues: Scheffler vs. Bhatia
Who’s more bummed leaving Pebble Beach? Scottie Scheffler, who shot in the 70s on Thursday for the second week in a row, then played near-flawless golf only to come up short again? Or Akshay Bhatia, who led by five after 45 holes and tied for 6th?
Akshay, hands down. It’s a good learning experience for a really good, young player, but man, that has to sting. Something tells me Scottie will be fine. He’s already on to the next one. He’s a machine.
Bhatia by a long shot. I don’t imagine Scheffler will be giving this week a second thought. He’s already focused on Riviera. Bhatia, though… that’s a tough one to shake. Leading by five with 27 holes to go and not closing it out? That’s the kind of thing that sticks with you.
I thought Scottie was the happiest he looked all week after losing out on Sunday afternoon. His game is still red-hot, he just wasn’t scoring. Akshay had lightning in a bottle and lost it. That’s a more painful exit.
The Best Back-to-Back Stretch on Tour?
The Tour heads from one Signature Event at Pebble Beach to the next at Riviera in Los Angeles. Course-wise, is this the best back-to-back combo on the Tour schedule? If not, what is?
Hmmm. Good question. I think Pebble to Riviera is pretty damn good. It gets the edge over the Augusta National to Harbour Town stretch. The Renaissance Club (Scottish Open) to Royal Birkdale (The Open) is also going to be a solid one, but Pebble to Riviera… that’s tough to beat.
Augusta to Harbour Town is a great one-two. But Pebble to Riviera is the only stretch in the calendar with two consecutive World Top 100s. So, yeah, I’ll give it the edge. It’s a serious test of golf, week after week.
Yes! Pebble is a hell of an appetizer, and Riv is a hell of a main course. Though, back when they were played together, I’d certainly hear an argument for Memorial-U.S. Open. Two straight shin-kicks. Those are brutal weeks. But for pure golfing pedigree and challenge, Pebble to Riviera is hard to argue with. It’s a true test of a player’s all-around game.