Anthony Kim Describes ‘Surreal’ Aftermath of Stunning LIV Golf Victory

Two weeks after winning in Australia, Kim said in Hong Kong that he was “flat-out terrible” when he joined LIV Golf, but he always knew he could get back into form.

Anthony Kim became LIV Golf's most unlikely champion with a final-round 63 last month in Australia. | Michael Errey/Getty Images

Anthony Kim used the time after his surprising victory in Adelaide two weeks ago to decompress with his family in Thailand in advance of this week’s LIV Golf event in Hong Kong.

And the one-time phenom admitted that processing what occurred on that final day when he won by shooting a 63 to surpass Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm has been “surreal.”

“I didn’t want to wake up and think that this was a dream, right, because two years ago when I joined LIV, I was flat-out terrible,” said Kim, who had been away from the game for 12 years. “But I knew that if I just kept working that I would get where I wanted to go. He spoke to reporters Tuesday in advance of this week’s tournament.

“I think that coming into this week, obviously other people have certain expectations, but all I can do is try my best on every shot. The thing that I thought was nonsense when I was a kid, when people said, just take it one day at a time and I never listened, I’m using that as a 40-year-old to my advantage.

“I think through my ups and downs, I’ve learned to be resilient and just put one foot in front of the other and just keep going.”

Kim, whose last professional victory came in 2010 at the PGA Tour’s Shell Houston Open, had mostly struggled in his two years on LIV Golf. Last year he was relegated out of the league, with his best finish a tie for 29th.

But Kim began to show some form toward the end of the year in Asian Tour events, and he managed to make his way through LIV Golf’s Promotions event in January, securing one of three spots in the league.

Anthony Kim got back to LIV Golf via the league's Promotions event in January at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida. | Jeff Swinger-Imagn Images

Then early in the week of the Australia tournament, he was added to Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team to replace Patrick Reed, who had left LIV Golf just prior to the start of the season.

At the season opener in Riyadh, Kim tied for 22nd, his best finish to date, which was a nice step forward but still not one that suggested he’d take on DeChambeau and Rahm—spotting them five strokes in the final round—and winning.

“I don’t think there was a moment where I started to think, I’m playing better than I was before,” Kim said. “But I think not worrying about the results and just trying to get better every day, that process clicked at some point. I don’t know when that was.”

This week’s event begins Thursday at Hong Kong Golf Club, where Kim tied for 50th last year.