LIV Golf Adelaide 2026 closed with a result few would have predicted and one that will be remembered as a landmark moment in modern professional golf.
Anthony Kim completed a remarkable comeback victory on Sunday, producing a final-round surge to defeat Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau and claim the individual title.
Kim’s win came more than twelve years after he last competed regularly at the highest level, following a prolonged absence caused by injuries and personal struggles. After returning to professional golf with LIV in 2024, early performances suggested the challenge ahead would be significant. This week at The Grange, that long road reached a defining moment.
Kim, who began the week working out visa issues to get into Australia and officially signed with 4Aces GC just before the tournament, said:
“I’m very overwhelmed with this feeling right now, but my plan is to keep getting better and start winning some more trophies.”
Anthony Kim completes comeback with final-round charge at LIV Golf Adelaide
Starting the final round five shots behind Rahm and DeChambeau, Kim produced a composed and aggressive performance when it mattered most. His nine-under 63 included birdies on four of the opening nine holes to quickly close the gap, while DeChambeau dropped out of contention with a difficult front nine and Rahm struggled to generate scoring momentum.
Kim’s iron play and putting stood out as conditions became more demanding, allowing him to steadily apply pressure while his playing partners were unable to respond in kind.
Turning point at the Watering Hole seals Kim’s victory
That shift became unmistakable at the par-3 12th, the Watering Hole, where the noise had been building all afternoon. With the crowd primed and packed tightly around the tee, Kim delivered a controlled iron shot that finished just inside 17 feet, giving himself a realistic birdie opportunity amid a wall of sound.
Moments later, he calmly rolled the putt straight into the heart of the cup to draw level with Rahm. The response was immediate and thunderous, as Kim punctuated the moment with an emphatic fist pump that reflected the weight of the journey behind him.
Kim joked:
“I’m too old to be reacting like that because I think I pulled something in my hip. But I will say that that was all the lows that I went through in my life that I got to dig out of.
“Every putt that went in, I felt the struggle, and I was overcoming it. It was therapeutic out there to fight through it and come out on top.”
The surge did not stop there. Riding the energy, Kim added further birdies at the 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th to pull clear of the field and seize full control of the tournament.
He finished the week at 23-under par, securing his first professional win in nearly sixteen years. Rahm claimed solo second for the second consecutive event, while DeChambeau faded to a closing 74 after an early stumble he could not recover from.
Rahm said of Kim:
“In a weird way, as a competitor, I probably shouldn’t say this, but that was a joy to watch. To see that image on 18 of him hugging his wife and daughter, any man with a soul is going to have a soft spot for that. I was almost tearing up.”
Ripper GC claims team title as LIV Golf Adelaide sets attendance record
The team title remained in Australian hands, with Ripper GC claiming a two-shot victory over Legion XIII. Captain Cameron Smith guided his side to their second Adelaide team win in three years, following strong performances from Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie.
Smith, whose team also won last week’s season opener in Riyadh, becoming the first LIV Golf team to claim the first two tournaments of a season, said:
“Unreal. So good. We had a training camp before the season, and this was our goal, to win this event, and we did it. It’s pretty special when you tick off a goal this early in the season.”
Away from the competition, LIV Golf Adelaide continued to underline its status as one of the most successful events on the global golf calendar. The scale of the week reflected the anticipation that surrounded LIV Golf Adelaide long before the opening tee shot was struck.
More than 115,000 spectators passed through the gates across four days, setting a new attendance record for a professional golf tournament in Australia at The Grange Golf Club.
The event again blended elite competition with entertainment, including appearances from Australian DJ FISHER, and earned strong praise from players for its atmosphere and fan engagement.
For LIV Golf, Adelaide remains a flagship stop that continues to deliver both competitively and commercially. For Anthony Kim, it was a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle, completing a comeback few believed possible and securing one of the defining victories of the season.
Readers can view the full individual and team results from LIV Golf Adelaide 2026 on the official leaderboard here.
Related: LIV Golf Receives OWGR Points for First Time in “Unprecedented” Ruling
LIV Golf Adelaide 2026 key takeaways and tournament highlights
- Anthony Kim won LIV Golf Adelaide with a final-round 63 to complete a remarkable comeback.
- Ripper GC claimed the team title as Australians dominated on home soil.
- LIV Golf Adelaide set a new attendance record with more than 115,000 fans.
