LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS

January 11, 2026

Anthony Kim

Black Diamond Ranch

Press Conference

Q. Obviously the pressure was on all week. You had to make a putt on Friday just to get to the weekend. Now that it's done, what does it all mean to you?

ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, it feels great. I'm not sure how to feel about it quite yet because even though I played halfway decent, you still have to have a little luck go your way in a 36-hole format. I'm just glad I put myself in the right position and had a few shots to spare at the end.

But very happy with how I performed.

Q. Especially with the pressure on, you could see the leaderboard all day today. You kind of separated yourself but then you had the 14th hole. Can you take us through that?

ANTHONY KIM: The 14th hole, I don't even know what that is. Is that where I went almost bunker to almost bunker? Yeah, my caddie said he saw that it was about a foot out of the bunker, and I was hoping that I would at least have a stance and unfortunately I didn't.

I don't know if it was stupid or courageous to hit an 8-iron from that position, and I felt like if I didn't whiff it and I hit the ball solidly, I could get it into that bunker, and unfortunately it hit the rake and it was short. Tough shot there, but I felt like if I made that putt, it could really swing the momentum.

I beared down and holed it.

Q. You were switching clubs quite a bit on that second shot. What was the decision to go back and forth?

ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, it was 128 yards, so obviously I would hit either a gap wedge or a sand wedge. But my initial thought was to chip a 5-wood because I wasn't going to be able to get much speed out of there. I told myself, quit thinking about it so much, just be athletic, figure it out, grabbed 8-iron, and I was good to go.

Q. After the 12-year layoff, you're back in the last two years. I assume you would consider this, thus far, the highlight of your comeback?

ANTHONY KIM: I wouldn't say there's any highlights yet. I'm working on those. But the world we live in, there's so many negative people out there. Unfortunately I love hearing all the negativity. But I'm glad I get to throw this in their face.

Q. Obviously it was kind of touch-and-go on Friday. Had you considered much what you might be doing in golf if you hadn't made it this far? Obviously even the top 10 International Series qualification was on the line, too.

ANTHONY KIM: That's a good question. No. I wasn't planning on doing anything but getting back on LIV. I felt like I put in the time. I haven't seen any breaks go my way. I haven't seen the results.

But I felt like God has a bigger plan. I found faith in rehab and in my sobriety. Not that God gives a shit if I make LIV or if I don't, but I felt like I'm doing all the right things, and I would have a great opportunity to make it back, and that's what I was planning on.

Q. Two years ago at this point, which obviously early January when there were maybe rumblings about you coming back but I don't think it was done, how much golf had you played at that point, and how realistic at that point did you think any of this was?

ANTHONY KIM: I had probably grinded for about three and a half months before I teed it up in my first event. I had heard that both tours were interested in having me. I really didn't want to do it. I didn't want to play. I had such bad feelings about the game of golf because of the mental state I was in when I was playing golf.

But part of my rehab process was to get outside and enjoy the weather and be in nature. Spending time with my wife and daughter became a key to me getting back into the game.

This is a surreal moment for me because other people obviously outside of my inner circle doubted me, but I would be lying to say that I didn't know if I would ever earn my way back. To all the people that don't feel I belong, they can suck it now.

Q. Was the process in getting your game back to a level that you like, was it harder than you thought? Obviously you went -- you've outlined, a long, long time without playing, let alone competing. When you start this process again, you know how hard it is, how good everybody is. Was it more daunting than you even expected?

ANTHONY KIM: Did I expect to have better results my first two years? Absolutely. I had no gauge of where my game would be, how quickly it could come back. There were definitely low moments throughout those two years.

But I believe in myself more than anybody else believes in me, and I think that's all that matters. I felt like I would earn my spot back if I did get relegated, which I did. I felt like if I just kept my foot on the gas and just kept grinding that great things were going to happen. I'm very happy to be in this position now.

Q. Do you hit it as far as you did 15 years ago? Has there been much of a dropoff there, or does technology allow you to recapture that same distance that you would have had?

ANTHONY KIM: I think I hit it about the same as far as distance, but the other guys have gotten longer because of technology. My strength before I left the game was hitting the middle of the face, and I got a lot out of that.

As to where the technology has made it so guys don't have to hit it in the middle of the face, that's just part of the game and that's where the game has evolved to. Unfortunately for me, that means I'm further back than the other guys.

But I chip and putt as good as almost anybody. I feel like if I get on the green, I've got a chance, I can bury it.

Q. Going back to the shot in the bunker at 14, the line is always, this is a shot that no pro ever practices. What is the thought process as you're trying to figure out whether to hit a chip 3-wood or an 8-iron or anything of that nature?

ANTHONY KIM: I just let my natural instincts take over. There's no way to practice that shot. If you're practicing that shot, you need to quit. (Laughter.)

I played lots of other sports before. I feel like I'm a very athletic person. I just let my natural instincts take over.

Q. On 13, you also had to kind of get yourself out of the trouble, under the trees, there was a question about a root from the broadcast. How big a save was that one, as well?

ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, it was big. I think that's where some of the patience and some of the management has shown is in that situation, I would try to do something either heroic or stupid, and 85 percent of that would be stupid because there's no way to stop the ball close to the hole. But I would have tried to do something different than I did, but I took my medicine there and had a nice two-putt from 35 feet.

Q. You mentioned a few minutes ago that there are no highlights yet. What in your mind would be a highlight to this comeback?

ANTHONY KIM: Winning golf tournaments. That's what I'm here to do. That's why I'm practicing. I've said it a million times; I wouldn't be here practicing, trying to get 1 percent better every day, to finish third or finish 10th. That's not my goal. Who knows if I'll get there. But that's my mindset. I'm a competitor. I have a very blessed life with my family.

What do I got to lose besides go for it?

Q. Kind of a follow-up question to that, would you have picked up the game again just to be a recreational golfer, or did it have to be competitive?

ANTHONY KIM: No. This game is hard when you don't practice, and I got tired of shooting big numbers on LIV. If I was doing that for fun, I might need to go back to that rehab facility.

Q. Obviously two years ago, different circumstances when you joined LIV Golf. This time you went out and earned it. How much satisfaction do you get out of that?

ANTHONY KIM: Yeah, there's a ton of satisfaction. A ton. I'm sure I'll understand that all that work has really shown this week, maybe later tonight when I'm drinking an iced tea.

But yeah, it means a lot to me because three years ago, doctors had told me that I potentially had two weeks to live. So just to be here standing in front of you guys is a blessing. I'm so grateful that God has given me this opportunity to showcase what I'm best at, and hopefully I'll be holding a trophy soon.