Phil Mickelson Shows True Character as He Sends Anthony Kim Strong Message After LIV Golf Relegation

Golf has always been about comebacks, and few stories captured fans’ imagination like Anthony Kim’s return in 2024 after a 12-year absence. Once a rising star derailed by injuries and health battles, Kim stepped back into the spotlight, hopeful. Fast forward to the end of 2025, and the fairytale has taken a different turn. After failing to secure enough points, he has been eliminated from LIV Golf. But, the setback doesn’t sting as much because Kim has found something far more important to play for: his daughter, Bella. And a recent post featuring the two of them even touched the heart of Phil Mickelson.

Anthony was seen driving the ball with his daughter Bella  standing beside him. As she saw the ball fly away from her dad’s club, she shouted “read, set, go!” in excitement. Kim shared the beautiful moment on X with a caption, “Got a new coach❤️ #girldad 1% BETTER SOBER is DOPE🔥.” Apart from being his coach, his daughter is also his biggest supporter. And Mickelson couldn’t help but acknowledge how encouraging she is.

Replying to Kim’s post, Lefty wrote, “She’s got you on plane and accelerating through the ball. I love the way she has you swinging it.” Mickelson’s sweet message for LIV Golf’s Wild Card’s daughter showed that he is not all about the golf talk and politics. He also deeply cares about his peers and tries to stay connected with them beyond the confines of the fairways. This is not the first time Mickelson’s true character has shone through with his social media interactions. He has often had some great conversations with many other players, such as Akshay Bhatia & Co.

For Kim, the exchange with Mickelson came at a time when his professional campaign was faltering. Across 2025, he showed flashes of competitiveness but struggled for consistency, posting finishes such as T49 in Riyadh, T50 in Hong Kong, and T47 in Singapore. His best week came in Dallas, where he broke into the top 25 with a gritty performance, and he followed it with a respectable T29 in Miami. But just as often, the bad weeks returned—like in Andalucía, where he finished T52 after a rough three rounds. By season’s end, he found himself ranked 55th, outside the cutoff to keep his spot in the league.

Regardless Kim is looking at the bigger picture for now, which is his family. Interestingly, Kim’s daughter is quite a well-known personality in the golf world. Earlier in 2024, during LIV Golf Miami, Bella had stolen the hearts of many with her adorable antics.

Interestingly, it’s not just LIV Golf that connects Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim. They have always had a great dynamic of friendship and mutual respect with each other.

Phil Mickelson & Anthony Kim’s connection beyond LIV Golf

Phil Mickelson & Anthony Kim have known each other for many years now. Kim made his debut on the PGA Tour way back in 2007. A year later, he had already impressed the fans after he captured two wins on the PGA Tour. That made him the first American golfer under 25 to win twice in a season after Tiger Woods. Kim’s performance also helped him qualify for the Ryder Cup that year.

That’s where he and Mickelson really got along. The two played three of the four doubles events together and had a record of one win, one loss, and one draw. Fortunately, their performance was enough to help Team U.S. beat the Europeans 16½ to 11½ at Valhalla Golf Club. Their friendship only grew over the years as they stayed connected when Anthony Kim was away from professional golf, recovering from his injury. It’s great to see that Phil Mickelson is still trying to maintain the friendship 17 years later.