Anthony Kim already has what he came looking for. A boost to his long and complex journey back. A new opportunity to play again in LIV Golf after passing the demanding filter of the LIV Golf Promotions held at Black Diamond Ranch (Florida). This opportunity has been earned,. It wasn’t handed to him. It’s another story.
The American, aged 40, confirmed his return with a week of high tension and a subsequent press conference filled with sincerity, pride, and a touch of defiance: “There are a lot of negative people out there… I love to hear it. I’m glad I can rub it in their faces. I’ll be back soon and I’ll win golf tournaments again.”
“There are a lot of negative people out there… I love to hear it. I’m glad I can rub it in their faces”
Kim has earned the spot, which obviously fills him with pride: “There’s a huge satisfaction. I’m sure I’ll process it later, maybe tonight while I have an iced tea. But it means a lot to me.”
The LIV Golf Promotions are a kind of survival test, with two cuts, scores that reset and three spots to be distributed. Kim secured one and, with it, keeps alive a story that seems written with incredible plot twists: twelve years out of professional golf, flirting with death, his reappearance, his very high rounds, and the loss of rights at the end of the season… Now comes the return via the hardest route.
“In 36 holes you need a bit of luck on your side”
The American will find it hard to process what he has just achieved. He admitted it himself. “I feel great. I still don’t quite know what all this means because although I played more or less well, in a 36-hole format you also need a bit of luck on your side,” he explained. “I’m happy to have put myself in the right position and to have had some margin at the end.”
That reference to the “margin” connects with what he had already experienced during the week: on Friday, for example, he had to sink a putt on the 18th hole to stay alive and reach the weekend. Another example that the LIV School doesn’t forgive. That gives it even more merit.
The 14th hole and the shot that “can’t be practised”
The moment that symbolised the mental battle he fought on the final day, Anthony placed it on the 14th hole, in a strange and challenging position, with the ball in an awkward spot. “My caddie said it was about two feet from the bunker. I was hoping to at least have a stance and, unfortunately, I couldn’t,” he recounted.
From there came the improvisation. He hesitated between several clubs and types of shots. He even considered chipping with a 5-wood. Until he forced himself to decide: “I told myself: stop overthinking it, be athletic, solve it… I grabbed the 8-iron and that was it.” The result wasn’t good — the ball hit a rake and came up quite short — but the important detail came after: “I felt that if I made that putt, it could totally change the momentum. I focused and sank it.” The save of the week.
On that type of situation, he left a great reflection. Amusing. “There’s no way to practise that shot. If you’re practising that shot, you need to quit.” Laughter in the room. Pure instinct.
“No ‘highlights’ yet. I want to win”
Despite the symbolic nature of the comeback, Kim refused to celebrate it as if he had reached a goal. When asked if it was the highlight of his return to the elite, he was blunt: “I wouldn’t say there are highlights yet. I’m working towards that.”
And what would be a highlight for him? “Winning tournaments. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I train. I wouldn’t be here trying to improve 1% every day to finish third or tenth. That’s not my goal.” And he concluded with a competitive mindset that explains his persistence: “What do I have to lose?”
“If I did this for fun, I might have to go back to rehab”
Even when asked if he would have taken up golf again purely for entertainment, his response was emphatic: “No. This game is very hard if you don’t practise and I got tired of making big numbers. If I did this for fun, I might have to go back to rehab.”
Faith, sobriety, and a phrase that explains it all
The most personal part of his appearance came when he talked about life off the course. Kim explained that he found faith during rehabilitation and while staying sober. That path helped him reconnect with golf in a different way: “Part of my rehabilitation was going outside, enjoying the weather, and being in nature. Spending time with my wife and daughter was key to returning to the game.”
“Three years ago, doctors told me I potentially had two weeks to live. So being here, in front of you, is a blessing”
He has said it on other occasions, but his most recent story continues to resonate strongly. “Three years ago, doctors told me I potentially had two weeks to live. So being here, in front of you, is a blessing.” And he returned to ambition: “I am very grateful for this opportunity to show what I’m best at… and hopefully soon I’ll be lifting a trophy.”
“I hit similarly, but now everyone hits further”
There was also room for the purely sporting and technical aspects. Asked about distance, Kim assured that he hits “more or less the same” as 15 years ago, but acknowledged the change in era: “Others have gained distance through technology.” His historical advantage, he explained, was “hitting it in the centre of the face,” something that matters less today: “Technology has made it so many don’t have to hit it as centred… and that means I’m further back than others.”
However, he made it clear where he believes he competes with anyone: “I chip and putt as well as almost anyone. If I get to the green, I have a chance.”
A comeback earned through hard work
Anthony Kim’s return to LIV Golf doesn’t come this time by invitation or marketing: it comes through qualification, by enduring the format, by surviving the cut, and by closing the deal when it mattered. He summed it up without embellishment and, true to his style, with the last dart reserved for those who wrote him off: “To those who don’t believe I belong here… now they can eat their words.”
