An emotional Anthony Kim claimed his first tournament win after a 12-year absence from the sport at LIV Golf’s stop in Adelaide.
The 40-year-old disappeared from the PGA Tour in 2012 after suffering a string of injuries and his life spiralled into despair.
Kim said for more than a decade he battled substance addiction, mental health issues and was even the victim of “scam artists”.
It was also assumed that a career-ending insurance policy – thought to be in the region of $10-20m – would be voided if he teed up again.
But he made a surprising return to the sport in late 2024, joining the breakaway LIV Golf on a two-year contract as a wildcard in the league.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Anthony Kim
To say he struggled would be an understatement, with the golfer failing to secure a point in the individual standings across two seasons.
He was relegated last year but secured an immediate return at LIV’s promotions event in January.
Kim showed signs of promise at LIV’s 2026 curtain-raiser in Riyadh, finishing in a share of 22nd place in the 57-man league.
It was the first tournament whereby LIV golfers received Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
And he showed that he is truly back after overturning a five-shot deficit at The Range to defeat Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
On the back of his win, the American has jumped nearly 640 spots to sit 203rd in the OWGR.
During his pomp, Kim reached a career-high sixth. When he disappeared from the sport, he was ranked 149th.
His last PGA Tour title was the 2010 Houston Open.
Kim is now ranked higher than the likes of former Open champion Cameron Smith, Will Zalatoris and the highly-rated American prospect Luke Clanton.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Not the only big move 
Jon Rahm
Elsewhere, Rahm is now back inside the top 50 after his runner-up finish in Adelaide.
Rahm was ranked 97th in the OWGR before LIV’s stop in Riyadh.
It means that LIV now have three players inside the top 50 (DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton).
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner, Collin Morikawa, has also moved back inside the top five after he secured his first victory in more than two years.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Morikawa has leapfrogged England’s Justin Rose in the standings.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley, Chris Gotterup, JJ Spaun, Robert MacIntyre and Hideki Matsuyama round out the top 10.
Subscribe to our Newsletter