“It wasn’t about golf,” Kim said. “It was about setting goals, being resilient and overcoming obstacles in your life. To my own fault, I made a lot of bad decisions. But the only way I can overcome that is by just dealing with it and hitting it head on.
“It’s been amazing, the love and support I’ve gotten. I’m motivated by negativity, so it’s been very weird. But I feel like a lot of people saw their own families, their own struggles in me, and I think that’s why it got kind of the reception that it did.”
For some, it also seemed to come out of nowhere – although his play in recent months certainly indicated he was making significant strides. In late November, he had his first top-10 finish since his return, a T5 at the PIF Saudi International. In early January, playing LIV Golf Promotions to earn a spot back in the league after being relegated, he made a clutch birdie putt just to advance to the 36-hole finale, then grabbed the third and final spot available.
After playing as a Wild Card in the season-opener in Riyadh, Kim was signed by 4Aces GC, the announcement made just prior to the opening round. Four days later, he put the finishing touches on a final-round bogey-free 9-under 63 that Rahm called “one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever seen anybody play.” His new teammates then helped him celebrate the victory.