Asked whether he ever imagined being in the final group on the last day of a golf championship again, he paused then delivered the words as cleanly as the birdie putts he would make on the back nine on Sunday.
“If you’d have asked me three years ago, I would have told you you were on drugs,” Kim replied.
Now sober for three years, Kim put on an astonishing display of golf under enormous pressure, hitting nine birdies as he left a stationary Rahm and rattled DeChambeau in his wake to win by three shots.
His victory completed a perfect day for the tournament as the All-Australian Ripper GC won the team’s event with Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman and Elvis Smylie combining to earn the $3million winners’ cheque. But Smith, like everyone, was awed by Kim’s performance.
“I was very sceptical at the start but what he has been able to do over the past couple of seasons to dig deep and grind it out and do what he did today is pretty special,” Smith said.
Cameron Smith in action at LIV Adelaide.Credit: Getty Images
Kim’s run began at The Watering Hole as the loudspeaker played the tune Not Afraid by Eminem as he teed off in front of the rowdy crowd. The moment seemed to inspire him as he hit five birdies between 12 and 17 to stun the field, raising the bar of what was thought possible to beyond imaginable.
In September 2008, aged just 23 the American reached the lofty sixth in the world ranking. The precocious talent had the universe at his feet.
Four years later in 2012 citing injury, he withdrew from his third PGA tournament in a row. He would not be seen with a golf club in his hand again until 2024. Instead, his life spiralled as far away as one could get from the PGA Tour.
No-one thought he would be teeing up again until LIV Golf gave him a wildcard spot on the 2024 tour as he attempted to rebuild his game, with his wife Emily and daughter Bella in his corner.
He had told LIV Plus in an interview he had removed 98 per cent of the people in his life – “the snakes” and “scam artists” who took advantage of him.
But picking up a golf club on the LIV tour didn’t automatically mean success as he toiled away. He became to some a symbol as to how shallow the depth was on the tour with his results poor and his presence mostly a curiosity.
So far away was Kim, he was cut from LIV at the end of 2025, still sober however and determined to follow his motto to get one per cent better every day.
But he didn’t walk away, and in January he again earned himself one of three wildcard spots on offer with a third placing in the LIV Golf League Promotions event in Florida.
After an encouraging 22nd in Riyadh, Kim was offered a spot on Dustin Johnson’s Four Aces team after Patrick Reed decided to rejoin the PGA in 2026.
Kim was on board but he could not board a plane to Australia as he did not have a visa. The LIV travelling party left without him so he bided his time until approval came through to get him Down Under. The thought he could win was to anyone but Kim himself, laughable.
He did not get ahead of himself after an encouraging first round.
“My goals are the same as they were when I first joined LIV,” Kim said.
“It’s to get one per cent better every day, stay sober, enjoy time with my family – and whatever happens, happens, because all I can do is try my best.”
He kept in touch, following a 67 with back to back 68s before unleashing on the final day with a wild 63 when everything he had been working on returned. “I didn’t get tired today,” he said.
Kim had become golf’s prodigal son, the untapped talent now a man, with his gift in perspective and his past just that.
“Obviously taking 12 and a half years off the game is a long time, and you have to build that confidence back,” Kim said. “I guess from when I was in my 20s, I was never scared to play anybody. I’m not scared to play anybody now. I know this is just one golf tournament, but I believe in myself. That will never change.”
He won the hearts of Australian fans, many too young to remember him in his prime. They won’t forget Kim again. Asked what is overarching message was, he simply replied: “Don’t f—ing quit. That’s it. Don’t f—ing quit.”
