GOLF: Adelaide title vaults Anthony Kim 644 spots in world rankings

Anthony Kim made a remarkable comeback, soaring from 847th to 203rd in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) released Monday following his first tournament victory since 2010.

The 40-year-old LIV Golf Adelaide champion is gradually re-establishing himself as a contender for major championships after a 12-year hiatus from competitive golf due to injury and addiction recovery. Kim has not played in a grand slam event since missing the cut at the 2011 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.

This season, the OWGR began awarding points to the top-10 finishers in LIV Golf events. Kim opened the season with a tie for 22nd in Riyadh before breaking through in Australia, finishing 23-under—three shots ahead of Spain’s Jon Rahm.

At his current ranking of 203, Kim still needs to climb 153 more spots to reach the top 50, which would secure an automatic invitation to the Masters, scheduled for April 9-12. There are only three LIV Golf events remaining before the tournament: Hong Kong (March 5-8), Singapore (March 12-15), and South Africa (March 19-22).

For the PGA Championship at Aronimink (May 14-17), players ranked within the top 100 in the OWGR typically receive invitations. However, Kim also has alternative pathways to qualify for the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.

The USGA introduced a special exemption for LIV players for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills (June 18-21). The exemption grants entry to “the top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 18, 2026.”

Similarly, The R&A has an LIV-specific exemption for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (July 16-19). One spot will go to “the first player and anyone tying for that place, not otherwise exempt, in the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Season Standings upon completion of LIV Golf Louisiana (June 25-28).”

Kim currently ranks second in the LIV individual standings, trailing only Jon Rahm, keeping his hopes alive for a return to major championship competition.

—Field Level Media/Reuters