Golfer Anthony Kim Wins After 12 Years Away, 2 Years Sober

Anthony Kim stood on the 18th green in Adelaide, Australia, not just as a tournament champion but as living proof that comeback stories can happen when you face your demons head-on.

The 39-year-old golfer fired a flawless final round of 63 on Sunday to win LIV Golf Adelaide by three strokes. It marked his first professional victory since 2010 and capped a journey through injury, addiction, and darkness that kept him away from golf for 12 years.

Kim was once golf's brightest young star. Before age 25, he won three PGA Tour events, competed in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, and set a record for most birdies in a single round at the Masters. Then an Achilles tear in 2012 sent everything spiraling.

"I wasn't the best person, the best partner, the best son I could be when I was younger," Kim said after his victory. "But who I am today is a completely different person."

The years away from golf were darker than most fans knew. Kim underwent multiple surgeries on his hand and spine. He battled drug and alcohol abuse and contemplated suicide multiple times across nearly two decades, "even when playing the PGA Tour."

Two years ago, Kim got sober. He finally returned to professional golf in March 2024 after joining LIV Golf, but the comeback wasn't easy. In his first 27 starts across two seasons, he never finished inside the top 30 of any tournament.

Why This Inspires

Kim's victory wasn't just about golf. It was about a man who rebuilt himself from the ground up, one day at a time. He entered Sunday's final round five shots behind world-class champions Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, golfers with four major championships between them. Nobody expected Kim to catch them.

But Kim stayed calm and kept making birdies. He cut the five-shot deficit to one through nine holes, then grabbed the lead on the 13th hole and never looked back. By the time he reached the final green, he had pulled away from everyone.

"With God, my family, my sobriety being the key things to my life, I can go as far as I want," Kim said. His mindset now centers on getting "1% better every day," a philosophy he plans to carry for life.

Just weeks ago, Kim was kicked out of the league through relegation after struggling badly. He qualified his way back in January through a promotion event and joined his first team, Dustin Johnson's 4Aces. Within two months, he was holding a trophy.

Kim's journey reminds us that rock bottom isn't the end of the story. It can be the foundation for something stronger. "Nothing is holding me back," Kim said. "I don't see why I can't make it to the top again."