Anthony Kim emerged victorious at LIV Golf Adelaide, outlasting and outplaying Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau in what might be the most jaw-dropping comeback story professional golf has ever witnessed.
After 12 years sidelined by injuries and personal battles, Kim stormed back to LIV Golf and showed the world that anything is possible. Not only did he snag his first victory in nearly 16 years, but he did it in the final pairing, staring down two of the absolute best players on the planet while refusing to blink.
Ripper GC won the team title on home soil by two shots over Legion XIII. The all-Australian squad have now won both of the first two LIV Golf events in 2026. Lucas Herbert (T6), Marc Leishman (T8) and Cameron Smith (T8) all boasted top-10 finishes while LIV Golf Riyadh winner, Elvis Smylie, finished T27.
Here is a last look at some of the notable performances from LIV Golf Adelaide.
ROUND OF THE WEEK
Kim’s final round at The Grange will be etched in golf lore for years to come. With DeChambeau and Rahm struggling, he seized the opportunity, pouring in birdie after birdie. In the end, Kim played the round bogey-free on his way to a historic 9-under 63.
CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
To avoid giving every superlative to the deserving Kim, I’ll give the Clutch Performance of the Week to Marc Leishman. The Ripper GC team victory got a little lost in the shuffle of Kim’s epic performance, but winning on home soil is a big deal. Leishman delivered a clutch 7-under 65 and made some massive putts down the stretch, including a 42-footer on the par-4 fifth.
UNDER THE RADAR PERFORMERS
Branden Grace: After an offseason that allowed Grace to finally get his nagging wrist injury taken care of, the South African and Southern Guards GC star has had a fantastic start to his 2026 season. After finishing T9 in Riyadh, Grace earned his second consecutive top-10 finish with a T8 in Adelaide with rounds of 71-64-69-69.
Matthew Wolff: Wolff has that rare level of talent where, no matter how rough the stretches get, you just can’t write him off. After a disappointing T51 in Riyadh, he bounced back strong with a T14 in Adelaide, carding rounds of 70-70-66-69 to finish at -13.
Peter Uihlein: After contending in Riyadh and ultimately finishing 3rd, Uihlein put together another outstanding performance, finishing T3. While Kim and the Rippers stole the spotlight, Uihlein continues to boast some of the best form of his career.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Anthony Kim: Kim put on a show in multiple categories. He ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach (+6.36), 6th in Strokes Gained: Putting (+5.15) and 8th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green (+2.88).
Dean Burmester: Burmester led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, gaining 5.46 strokes for the week. On a week when fairways were difficult to hold, the South African found the right combination of distance and accuracy to be the best driver in the field in Adelaide.
Matthew Wolff: Wolff’s strong week was fueled by both a resurgent driver (+3.28, 5th) and a dialed in wedge game. He ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach from inside 150 yards, gaining 4.76 strokes.
VETERAN RESURGENCE
Graeme McDowell: McDowell plotted his way around the golf course with veteran savvy, posting a T14 finish with rounds of 68-72-67-68. He ranked 8th for the week in Strokes Gained: Approach (+4.92).
YOUNG GUN SPOTLIGHT
Caleb Surratt: After a slow start, Surratt finished T17 after posting rounds of 70-73-64-69. While Rahm and Tom McKibbin struggled on Sunday, the 21-year-old helped Legion XIII remain on the podium.
WHO’S TRENDING
Lucas Herbert: It was a great week for Herbert, who was the best finisher in the Ripper team victory. After a sluggish 71 in Round 1, the Aussie posted rounds of 65-67-69 over the next three days to lead the team. He now has back-to-back top-10 finishes to start his 2026 campaign.
Sebastián Muñoz: Muñoz has become one of the most consistent players on LIV Golf. After an eighth-place finish in Riyadh, the Colombian posted four rounds in the 60s to match last week’s finish with a T8.
Dustin Johnson: Johnson has shown flashes of his high ceiling in each of the first two weeks of the season. However, he’s had one poor round in Riyadh and Adelaide to keep him from contending over the weekend. Once Johnson can eliminate a few big numbers from the scorecard, he’ll be in the mix on Sunday.
4Aces GC: After losing Patrick Reed, the 4Aces have now begun the season by posting back-to-back podium finishes in Riyadh and Adelaide. With a resurgent Kim to go along with a strong new addition in Thomas Detry, the Aces look as dangerous as they have in years.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Anthony Kim on his daughter seeing his historic victory:
“Obviously, when Bella was born, Emily and my life changed. But to be able to share this moment, even though Bella won’t understand it, one day she will, and for her to be able to run on the green and see her dad isn’t a loser was one of the most special moments of my life.”
Anthony Kim on beating Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau:
“When I was in my 20s, I was never scared to play anybody. I’m not scared to play anybody now. I know this is just one golf tournament, but I believe in myself. That will never change.”
Marc Leishman on Kim’s performance:
“I don’t know, it’s pretty touching, actually, how good a story this is. I hope that people realize how it’s a fairy tale, it really is. Not just golf but life. You see his wife and his daughter run out on the green, and that’s as good as it gets. I couldn’t be happier for AK.”
Lucas Herbert on LIV Golf Adelaide 2026 setting a new attendance record for a professional golf event in Australia:
“I see on social media all the time that LIV has no fans, so it’s pretty nice to see that a few of them turned out this week, and you can see why. It’s clearly the best event. It’s been voted the best event in the world, and you can absolutely see why.
“There’s so many people out here. It’s such a great atmosphere. There are so many kids out here, as well. I feel like between every green and tee, I’m high-fiving kids the whole way down, which that’s what we did all this far. That’s what we really wanted to be here to make an impact for.”
This piece is courtesy of Matt Vincenzi in partnership with LIV Golf.
