Anthony Kim won a golf tournament this weekend. That's such a simple sentence, but there's absolutely nothing simple about his journey back to the winner's circle. The Hollywood-like story he completed on Sunday by winningLIVGolf Adelaide was certainly a win for the Saudi-backed circuit, but the juxtaposition of it all is impossible to ignore.
Pebble Beach, and the forecast, delivered a chaotic and memorable Sunday on thePGA Tour.Scottie Schefflerdidn't win the golf tournament, but put on an absolute clinic, while Collin Morikawa did just enough down the stretch to earn his first win on Tour since October 2023. There are many takeaways from the Pebble Beach Pro-Am we'll get to.
And then there was Charley Hull, who won the first Ladies' European Tour event of 2026, and celebrated accordingly by admiring the gigantic trophy now in her possession while not being shy about what she'll be doing with her winnings.
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Anthony Kim chasing downJon RahmandBryson DeChambeauto win LIV Golf Adelaide on Sunday was, undoubtedly, the best day in the circuit's history since its inaugural event in 2022. And yes, even better than DeChambeau winning the 2024 U.S. Open overRory McIlroywhile already a member of LIV.
While Kim's victory in Australia was a major win for LIV, it's hard to ignore how contradictory it was to LIV's business model and overall approach to the game.
LIV Golf is not an overly complicated entity; in fact, it's as straightforward as they come. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is valued at over $1 trillion, and the Saudis simply took hundreds of millions of dollars, used it to create the circuit, and got players to sign on by offering them ginormous contracts and guaranteed paydays with no-cut events. Outside of a player's résumé, there was no aspect of a player earning their way onto LIV.
Kim, after living life entirely in the shadows for more than a decade, did sign a deal with LIV in 2024 to join the circuit, but as a wildcard, and to say things went poorly would be an understatement. In 2024, he finished 56th out of 59 players in the season-long standings, and after only improving one spot the following season, Kim's only option to get back onto the circuit was to earn it through LIV's promotion tournament.
The Top 3 finishers in the event would earn full-season status for the 2026 LIV season, and Kim finished third. He earned his way back onto the circuit for one more season as a wildcard player, and it was up to him and only him to make something happen, not only in 2026, but for his future.
Things fell into place for Kim in the lead-up to LIV Adelaide as he joined the 4Aces team led by Dustin Johnson, replacing Patrick Reed, but Kim didn't take that as a sign he should settle, now with a bit of comfort on his side as a member of a squad.
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