Anthony Kim unquestionably handed LIV Golf a boost ahead of the 2026 season by earning one of the three spots in the league up for grabs at last week’s Promotions event.
Much of the focus was on Anthony Kim heading into the Promotions event. While Kim has struggled to make his mark on LIV Golf, his game definitely appears to be trending in the right direction.
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He finished tied for fifth at the Saudi International late last year. So it was no surprise to see the 40-year-old put himself in the mix to regain his spot on LIV for 2026.
Ultimately, he was able to secure one of those three places. With that, it will be interesting to see whether he can impress in the coming months.
How some LIV Golf players felt about Anthony Kim
It was unquestionably a massive story when Kim returned to golf in 2024. He had become something of a mythical figure over the previous decade having walked away from the PGA Tour.
Unfortunately, he was not able to really compete. He finished in the relegation places in both 2024 and 2025. Kim is yet to finish higher than 25th in a LIV event.
And it seems that may have led to some frustration among a handful of LIV players. Speaking on The Ricks Shiels Golf Show, Rick Shiels noted that Kim did not endear himself to everyone in the league last year having kept his place despite struggling in 2024.
“Obviously, having been so heavily involved with LIV last year, I would say there was a little bit of friction between players and Anthony Kim,” he said.
“I don’t think he was the most liked there. And he was a bit of a lone wolf. He wasn’t part of a team. I don’t think many people got on with him. And I think some resented the fact that he got drafted into LIV and he was there as a bit of selling tickets or a news headline. I think he’ll be much more respected going into this year now when he tees it up in Riyadh.”
A new challenge awaits Anthony Kim with Promotions event leaving him with a point to prove
Whatever you think of Kim, there is no question that his story will inspire so many. The fact that he battled back from the brink is unbelievably impressive – and that is before you even factor what he has done on the golf course.
Obviously, Kim has only shown glimpses of his talent over the last two years. But even that is incredibly remarkable given how long he went without playing the game at any level.
He still has a point to prove from a golfing perspective. Ultimately, the Promotions event did not boast a particularly strong field given the riches on offer on LIV.
It should also be noted that Kim would have actually missed out on a place had scores for the final three rounds all contributed to the score.
That is significant because Kim now needs to show that he can compete over 72 holes again.
The International Series result in Saudi Arabia hints that he is up to the task. But perhaps some LIV players will still be reserving judgement for the time-being.
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