Anthony Kim was nowhere to be seen for over a decade. After his last professional victory came at the 2010 Shell Houston Open, many things have happened, derailing his Tiger Woods-like greatness into a what-if story. After a long hiatus, he made a surprise return to LIV as a wildcard in 2024. Now, in 2026, he has earned a full-time spot on the 4 Aces GC roster, a journey that has drawn honest reactions from his peers, Bryson DeChambeau & Jon Rahm.

“What an incredible story, first off. Going from the lowest of lows, almost moving away from this Earth, and then coming back and really taking accountability, raising his little girl, being a family man, and being 1% better every day. I mean, it’s an inspiring story that I think, honestly, should have a lot more media attention than it does. It deserves that,” said Bryson DeChambeau in Adelaide.

Kim’s promising career was derailed in 2012 by a major Achilles tendon rupture. It forced a decade-long hiatus that can only be defined by mystery, multiple surgeries, and a descent into personal despair involving addiction and anxiety. Kim himself revealed once that just three years before, doctors told him he ‘potentially had two weeks to live.’ His return isn’t just about golf. It is a fight for survival and redemption centered around his 4-year-old daughter, Bella, and his commitment to sobriety.

“I’m not here to prove everybody wrong. I’m here to prove myself right,” Kim once said. “I’ve worked so hard, and this little girl right here is one of the reasons why. Obviously, my wife has been so supportive. I’ve had so much support behind me all year, the last two years since I’ve been back. I’m so grateful that I’m back on the stage.”

Jon Rahm enjoyed a car ride back to the hotel from the golf course in Riyadh with Kim, and the two were stuck in traffic at midnight for over an hour. The two talked, and Kim shared his story with him. After seeing what AK pulled in Adelaide, Rahm’s remarks were, hence, honest.

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“What he’s doing is nothing short of remarkable. I really hope he can find the right person to tell his story, in whatever form—movie, documentary series, book, whatever it is—because what he’s doing is so impressive.”

Kim signaled a stunning return to form at The Grange, posting back-to-back impressive rounds of 67 before a solid 4-under 68 in the final round kept him in contention, just five shots off the lead behind DeChambeau and Rahm.

However, his comeback was a grueling ordeal. He joined LIV Golf as a wild-card entry back in March 2024. In his initial LIV starts, AK was consistently at the bottom of the leaderboard, including a +16 finish in his debut at Jeddah.  Following Jeddah, he continued to struggle, finishing 50th out of 54 at LIV Hong Kong (+3) and last again at LIV Miami (+21). Then he finished 55th of 61 players in 2025, leading to his relegation in 2026.

To earn his card back, Kim had to survive a 72-hole shootout at the LIV Golf Promotions event in January. Kim drained a birdie putt on his 36th and final hole of the two-day shootout at the Promotions. It allowed him to play the weekend. He then went 66-69 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to finish in third by two shots.

His return was championed by Phil Mickelson, who publicly supported Kim during the qualifier. After the Promotions event, Kim signed a full-time contract with Dustin Johnson‘s 4Aces GC, filling the spot vacated by Patrick Reed’s departure. Johnson and team manager Chris Rosaasen signed Kim to a full-time contract. Kim debuted for the team in the Riyadh season opener and finished T22 with a 13-under-par total.

But it’s not just Kim’s story catching the spotlight in Adelaide.

There is an epic duel going on between Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau

After finishing second at the LIV Golf Riyadh event with a 23-under-par total, one shot behind the leader, Ripper GC’s Elvis Smylie, Jon Rahm made a historic charge during the third round in Adelaide. Opening with back-to-back bogeys, his first since LIV Golf Chicago in August 2025, Rahm found himself five shots behind a red-hot DeChambeau.

The 2x US Open winner had made nine birdies in an 11-hole stretch. However, Rahm played his final five holes at 5-under par with an approximately 200-foot eagle on the 18th hole to snatch a share of the lead at 19-under with Bryson.

This left DeChambeau and everyone else in the field ‘shocked.’

“It was shocking, obviously. I didn’t know that’s what could happen, so that was most of what the shock was,” DeChambeau said of Rahm’s 18th hole. “It was like, what the heck, you can do that? I didn’t know that. But ultimately, I didn’t really know from my perspective that it was OK over there, so I was kind of shocked.”

Now, it remains to be seen who takes the trophy home on Sunday. DeChambeau, Rahm, or AK?