For a league that was trying to buy meaning through $300 million checks to Jon Rahm (or $500 million, some believe) and Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf found its essence Sunday without rushing the pen. Anthony Kim was victorious. Above the two aforementioned stars in Adelaide, Australia.
The victory marked the completion of a years-long comeback for the 40-year-old, who has been something of a Bigfoot in the game over the past decade. Every photo of Kim posted online sparked rumors, as stories of Kim’s whereabouts and lore only expanded the three-time PGA Tour winner’s legend.
Kim, who admitted to battling alcohol and drug addiction while recovering from multiple injuries and taking a break from the professional game while battling personal demons, hit rock bottom just a few years after reaching her peak.
Kim was America’s Ryder Cup hero, a long-awaited major champion and someone many believed could carry the torch once Tiger Woods stepped down.
Grand plans for Kim to be his successor never materialized, but a return was made possible when the American agreed to compete in LIV Golf as a wild card in 2024. Gone are the days of his buzz cut and bedazzled belt buckle. Now, memories of the past have been replaced by the joy of being a father.
Even though LIV Golf was still labeled as closed, Kim managed to overcome the rift. Yes, he was given a golden ticket to the league, but at first he did not take much advantage of it – Kim could not register a single point for two seasons – but still achieved the purpose.
When Kim teed up again, the competitive fire that had been on full display in Australia was reignited. You could see it through fist pump after fist pump as he threw birdie after birdie down the throats of Rahm and DeChambeau. He overcame one of the most pressure-packed moments in a golfer’s career, a qualifying school if you want to compare it to an LIV golf promotional event, and earned not only a victory, but a spot in the league.
That wouldn’t have been possible without change from both Kim himself and the league he calls home.
LIV Golf made two changes this offseason, and the effects are now becoming apparent. This added spots for promotion events and changed the qualifying cutoff to the top three players. Kim finished the LIV Golf Promotion Tournament at 5 under par, one stroke behind Bjorn Helgren and six strokes behind medalist Richard Lee. He was two strokes behind the players tied for fourth place.
A year ago, Kim would have been left on the sidelines.
The league also decided to expand the tournament from 54 holes to 72 holes, naming the entire league (Roman numeral LIV) after its length for the first four seasons. Kim was in third place after 54 holes, five strokes behind Rahm and DeChambeau. It’s certainly admirable, but it’s not in the winner’s circle.
This proves that making changes when the situation calls for it can have a significant trickle-down effect. You may not notice it in the first days, the first month, or the first year, but it worsens in the background as your life progresses. The important thing is to keep trying, even if you don’t see results from the beginning.
Kim is the embodiment of change, and while it may have taken him 12 years to return to golf and 16 years to re-enter the winner’s circle, the joy he and the golf world shared on Sunday is priceless.
