Anthony Kim's Stunning Comeback Win At LIV Adelaide Defies The Odds

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Anthony Kim completed one of the most inspirational and improbable comebacks in professional golf, outdueling Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to win the individual title at LIV Golf Adelaide, Australia.

After more than 12 years away from competitive play due to injuries and personal challenges, Kim returned in 2024 to join LIV Golf. He struggled early while trying to shed the rust and recapture the magic from his early professional years.

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But thanks to his mantra of“1% better every day”, Kim has shown dramatic improvement in recent months, and this week at The Grange, he completed the journey, proving that anything is possible.

Not only did Kim capture his first win of any kind in nearly 16 years, but he also did so in the final group against two of the world's top players, whose iron play and hot putting simply could not match his. Kim posted rounds of 67, 67, 68, and 63 for a 72-hole total of 23 under par, 265, winning by two shots in only the second 72-hole event of LIV Golf's new format.

The Individual Standings after two events are led by Jon Rahm, followed by Kim and Saudi winner Elvis Smylie. In the Team Standings, Ripper GC tops Legion XIII.

“I'm very overwhelmed with this feeling right now,” said Kim, who began the week dealing with visa issues to get into Australia and officially signed with 4Aces GC just before the tournament started.“But my plan is to keep getting better and start winning some more trophies.”

While Kim's story dominated headlines, the home crowd also celebrated Ripper GC's team victory, as Captain Cameron Smith and his club rallied past Rahm's Legion XIII for a two-shot win, their second at home in three years. Marc Leishman led the way for Ripper with a 7-under 65, while Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie each shot 3-under 69s. Smith finished with a 2-under 70.

Ripper GC clinches double

“Unreal. So good,” said Smith, whose team also won last week's season opener in Riyadh, becoming the first LIV Golf team to claim the first two tournaments of a season.

“We had a training camp before the season, and this was our goal, to win this event, and we did it. It's pretty special when you tick off a goal this early in the season.”

Special was certainly how Kim performed on Sunday. Starting the day five shots off the lead, he fired a 9-under 63 to finish at 23 under. DeChambeau suffered two early bogeys, while Rahm held on with pars, but it was Kim who caught fire. He carded birdies on holes 4, 5, 7, and 9 to cut the deficit to just one as the trio made the turn.

Rahm made the turn at even par, while DeChambeau limped through a 4-over front nine. Kim then seized control with birdies on 13, 14, 15, and 17.

Triumph through life's lows

“I'm too old to be reacting like that because I think I pulled something in my hip,” Kim joked.“But I will say that that was all the lows that I went through in my life that I got to dig out of. Every putt that went in, I felt the struggle, and I was overcoming it. It was therapeutic out there to fight through it and come out on top.”

DeChambeau could not recover from his shaky front nine, finishing with a 2-over 74 and fading out of contention. Rahm, meanwhile, simply could not match Kim's magic and claimed solo second for the second consecutive week.

“In a weird way, as a competitor, I probably shouldn't say this, but that was a joy to watch,” Rahm said of Kim.“To see that image on 18 of him hugging his wife and daughter, any man with a soul is going to have a soft spot for that. I was almost tearing up.”

The next LIV Golf event, the third of the season, takes place in Hong Kong from 5–8 March 2026.

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