“Nobody else had to believe in me but me,” Kim said through tears after winning LIV Golf Adelaide 2026
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NEED TO KNOW
- Anthony Kim celebrated his first professional win since 2010 at LIV Golf Adelaide 2026 on Feb. 15
- “I knew this was going to happen, but for it to actually happen is pretty insane,” the pro golfer said
- Kim, 40, previously stepped away from the sport for 12 years due to numerous injuries and a sobriety journey
Anthony Kim is celebrating his first victory in over 15 years.
On Sunday, Feb. 15, the professional golfer, 40, won his first professional golf tournament since 2010, beating Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau in the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide 2026.
“I don’t really know what to say right now,” Kim said through tears after accepting his trophy, per The Athletic. “It’s a bit overwhelming, but I’m never not gonna fight for my family. God gave me a talent, I was able to produce some good golf today. I knew it was coming. Nobody else had to believe in me but me.”
“I don’t really know how to put into words,” he continued. “I knew this was going to happen, but for it to actually happen is pretty insane.”
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Kim stepped away from the sport in 2012 due to numerous injuries and struggles with addiction. But after a 12-year hiatus, the athlete returned ahead of the 2024 season and demonstrated quite the comeback with a closing 9-under 63 for a three-shot margin at the Australian tournament.
“For anybody that’s struggling right now, you can get through anything,” Kim emphasized. “I just want to thank all of the people who have supported me. Including you, when I was not playing well, and I was on the verge of never coming back to LIV, always supported me. Thank you to everyone who’s been in my corner, so I’m going to keep doing it.”
Prior to his latest victory, Kim won the 2010 Shell Houston Open in 2010 when he was 24 years old. And at the time, he earned quite the reputation by recording three victories, playing an instrumental role in the United States victory at the 2008 Ryder Cup and recording 18 top-10 finishes — all within four seasons.
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“I’ve put in a lot of hard work, so I feel like when I’m out there, I know I’m going to do well,” he said after winning the Houston Open, per a news release at the time. “Having that confidence really has propelled my game, I feel like, to a different level.”
In the years between the two victories, Kim took some time to focus on achieving what he described as the “biggest accomplishment” of his life: sobriety.
“I was barely physically able 2 walk in 2 REHAB needing assistance from my sober coach as my body was shutting down,” he recalled on social media while celebrating two years of sobriety in February 2020. “Not long b4 this moment I contemplated ending my life everyday for almost 2 decades even while playing @pgatour when I 2 the public seemed happy while struggling w addiction & mental illness.”
“This post isn’t 2 tell every1 to get sober but 4 people who r letting addiction ruin their lives as I did that u can turn ur life around,” he continued. “Everyday I chose drugs & alcohol 2 numb the pain I felt no matter wat happened in my professional life & I got so good at hiding it that I lost who I was. It’s f—in hard playing majors making porta potty stops every few holes.”
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