Anthony Kim Wins LIV Golf Adelaide With a Bogey-Free 63 for His First Title in Nearly 16 Years

Everyone at The Grange showed up on Sunday for Jon Rahm against Bryson DeChambeau. They left talking about Anthony Kim.

Five shots back at the start of the day, Kim fired a bogey-free 9-under 63 to win LIV Golf Adelaide at 23 under, three clear of Rahm. It is the first title of any kind for the 40-year-old since the 2010 Houston Open, and it came in his very first event as a full member of Dustin Johnson's 4Aces GC. Rahm closed with a 71 to finish alone in second at 20 under, while DeChambeau's 74 dropped him into a tie for third at 17 under with Tyrrell Hatton and Peter Uihlein. In the team race, the home side delivered: Ripper GC shot 15 under on the day to win at 55 under, two clear of Legion XIII.

Nine Birdies, No Mistakes

Kim's round was a clinic in staying patient and then pouncing. He birdied the fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth to turn in 4 under, which, combined with the leaders going sideways, cut a five-shot deficit to one by the time the final group made the turn. Two pars followed at the 10th and 11th.

Then came the Watering Hole. At the par-3 12th, the loudest stage in the league, Kim stopped his tee shot just inside 17 feet and holed the putt to draw level with Rahm. From there it was a procession in the other direction: birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th, and another at the 17th, for nine birdies on the card and none of the other stuff. Four of his last six holes went red, and nobody behind him had an answer.

The numbers back up how complete the week was. Kim led the field in greens in regulation, hitting 60 of 72, made just three bogeys all tournament, fewer than anyone else, and ranked third in strokes gained approach at plus 6.36 and sixth in strokes gained putting at plus 5.15, per LIV Golf.

The Leaders Go Sideways

The duel everyone expected never really arrived. DeChambeau, co-leader at 19 under, made two early bogeys and played his front nine in 4 over, with four bogeys in a six-hole stretch, per Field Level Media. From there he could only watch. His 74 left him six back.

Rahm did not collapse so much as stall. He made two birdies and a bogey on his way to a 71, and the pars that would have been fine on most Sundays were nowhere near enough against a 63. The Legion XIII captain finished solo second, but the win he has been chasing since 2024 will have to wait. Rahm was generous afterward, calling Kim's round a joy to watch.

A Comeback Sixteen Years in the Making

The context is what makes this one land. Kim walked away from professional golf for 12 years before returning through LIV, and he spent time as a wild card before 4Aces brought him onto the roster ahead of this event. He even had trouble getting into Australia this week because of a paperwork issue after the season opener in Riyadh.

None of that showed on Sunday. Kim sounded overwhelmed by the moment and celebrated with his daughter afterward. One line summed up the week. "Nobody else has to believe in me but me," Kim said.

Ripper Wins It at Home

The team competition delivered its own home-crowd ending. Ripper GC started the day five behind Legion XIII and needed every one of its four scores, all of which count in the 2026 format. Marc Leishman led the charge with a bogey-free 65, highlighted by a 42-foot birdie putt at the par-4 fifth. Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie each shot 69 and captain Cameron Smith added a 70, good for 15 under on the day and 55 under for the week.

Legion XIII managed only 8 under on Sunday and finished at 53 under. Kim's 63 helped 4Aces GC post 14 under and climb to third at 52 under, the team's second straight podium after Riyadh. For Ripper, it is a second straight team title to open the 2026 season and a second home win in Adelaide in three years. Smith's reaction was a short burst of pure joy, and the crowd felt the same way.

The Rest of the Leaderboard

Herbert and Dean Burmester tied for sixth at 16 under, and Smith, Leishman, Sebastián Muñoz and Branden Grace shared eighth at 15 under. Grace posted his second straight top 10 of the season. Leishman's closing 65 matched Bubba Watson for one of the best rounds of the day behind Kim, and Josele Ballester took the long-drive honors again with a 379.9-yard bomb at the 17th.

The event also set an attendance mark, with LIV Golf reporting more than 115,000 fans across four days, a record for a professional golf event in Australia. Herbert called Adelaide the best event on the schedule, and few in the field would argue.

What It Means

Two events into the 72-hole era, LIV has already produced a Sunday that people outside the league will talk about. Kim's win reshapes the 4Aces outlook, gives the league one of its best stories yet and reminds everyone that a five-shot deficit at The Grange is not a death sentence. Rahm and DeChambeau will have plenty of chances to settle their rivalry. This week belonged to Kim.

Catch up on Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 on Undrafted, and see LIV Golf's final-round recap (opens in a new tab) and the official LIV Golf Adelaide leaderboard (opens in a new tab). Last year's winner story: Joaquin Niemann wins the 2025 edition.

Sources: LIV Golf (final-round recap and Last Look), Field Level Media via Arab News, Fox Sports. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: LIV Golf.