Amid an outpouring of emotion following Anthony Kim’s extraordinary triumph in Adelaide on Sunday, the icon who helped the fallen star find a way back to the links described it as the greatest comeback golf has seen.
Greg Norman, the inaugural LIV Golf boss, was pivotal in assisting the American prodigy who had lost his way due to addiction and mental health issues earn a shot at redemption on the breakaway tour back in 2024.
It took Kim a couple of years to find his groove, and he was forced to fight for a spot on this year’s tour, but the faith Norman and others had in him was repaid when the 40-year-old reeled in Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau for a stirring win.
The American expressed his gratitude to Norman in the aftermath of his stunning victory in the LIV Golf Australia event.
“Greg and I had a conversation. He asked me if I thought I could do it, how committed I was. Obviously I was terrible, but I still had that self-belief that I could get to the top, that I could win golf tournaments, and he said, ‘I believe in you, too.’
“So I appreciate the opportunity I’ve gotten here at LIV, and I’m going to just keep getting better.”
Dual-British Open champion Norman responded with an emotional post on social media.
“I am so, so proud of you. You have fought a fight very few could ever comprehend,” Norman wrote.
“You believed in yourself (and) committed to yourself because you knew deep down you would return (to) where you belong – in the winners circle. The incredible love and support from Emily and Bella inspired you and drove you back to the top.
“I am so glad you did in my homeland. Now your life has come back to a place you belong!! Congrats my friend.”
Norman later expanded on those comments to bunkered.co.uk
“I am like a proud dad who always knew if you could shine light on a path of belief through trust and confidence, his god-given ability and the drive and desire within would spring to life,” Norman told the website.
Unlikely American claims LIV Adelaide | 01:02
“He had so much talent but it was buried by poor decisions and directions. He was lost and admitted it. But he owned it and wanted to change with the force for good. And golf could give him the opportunity needed to make that change.”
The triumph of Kim in South Australia has resonated around the world of golf, securing the LIV Tour a rare moment where fans from the United States through to Europe and Asia were delighted with the outcome of what was a thrilling tournament.
That is only partly due to the sensational final round posted by Kim as he surged past major winners Rahm and DeChambeau, to the wild manner he celebrated big putts dropping, and to the beautiful scene which saw him celebrate with his daughter.
Rather it is the theme of redemption, of overcoming problems so profound that his life was in peril, to succeed once again.
It is why Norman described it as golf’s greatest comeback, one that sits comfortably with examples including Tiger Woods’ Masters triumph in 2019 after personal trauma and significant injuries, and Ben Hogan’s success after a serious car crash.
A brief recap as to why golfers including Aussies Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman were so emotional on Sunday night.
Kim was a rising star of American golf almost two decades ago, having won three PGA Tour events while also featuring on Ryder and President Cup teams before turning 25. But the Californian was battling personal demons between tee shots.
His body started to fray along with his mental health and, after injuring an Achilles in 2012, he took a sabbatical … and never returned to the PGA Tour as his substance and alcohol abuse took hold.
A couple of years ago he revealed the depths of his despair in a social media post, suggesting he was using drugs while playing in majors and that his problems had prompted thoughts of taking his life.
As reported by Sports Illustrated, he later said the point of the post was to say that “you can turn your life around”.
“Every day I chose drugs and alcohol to numb the pain no matter what happened in my professional life and I got so good at it I lost who I was. It’s f—- hard playing majors and making porta potty stops every few holes,” he said.
Prior to his return to golf as a wildcard on the LIV Tour at the behest of Norman, he told the tour’s website he underwent surgeries to repair his Achilles, a hand and shoulder, along with a spinal fusion procedure. But there was more than that.
Kim said he scarcely left his house for a period, during which he was kept company by two pet monkeys and six dogs.
“I was around some bad people. People that took advantage of me. Scam artists,” he said.
“And when you’re 24 or 25, even 30 years old, you don’t realise the snakes that are living under your roof. But through the grace of God, I’m here. I’m able to tell my story, hopefully inspire other people.”
Kim credited the help of his wife Emily and the arrival of his daughter Bella, who is now a toddler, for helping him find sobriety and while it has taking him two years to properly find his groove, he delivered in style in Adelaide.
It is why Norman is so delighted for him and unabashed in describing the significance of Kim’s triumph.
“That is the greatest comeback in golf history,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest.
“I’m so proud of him. To give him that chance for a new life by giving him a place of support, and having his back to allow him to find what was always within – the true A.K. – and to (his wife) Emily, who was his rock, and (daughter) Bella, who gave him inspiration, that I just love.”
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