It was one of the biggest putts of Anthony Kim’s career.
Needing to make the cut at the LIV Golf Promotions tournament at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida, he needed a birdie on his last hole after bogeying No. 17. And from roughly 10 feet, he did just that, essentially keeping his hopes to rejoin LIV Golf alive.
“I’ve played in a few qualifiers. You’ve just got to stay patient,” the 40-year-old said after a 1-under 69. “You never know what’s going to happen. Even though I hit it in the water and then I chipped it over the green, I still felt like I had a chance if I made a few birdies at the end, and fortunately, I got a few to fall.”
The three-time PGA Tour winner and 2008 U.S. Ryder Cupper took a 12-year hiatus from golf until joining LIV in 2024. However, he was relegated from the league after failing to secure a point last season.
But the LIV Golf Promotions is an opportunity for him to re-secure playing privileges. The top three finishers will claim spots on the circuit in 2026, while those who place top 10, including ties, will receive a full exemption into the Asian Tour’s International Series.
.@AnthonyKim_Golf needed to birdie the last, and he did 💪
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) January 9, 2026
He locks in his place to play the weekend at Black Diamond Ranch 🔥#LIVGolfPromotions pic.twitter.com/fNv9LmzcHy
After the first two rounds at Black Diamond, the scores reset, giving Kim a fresh start on the leaderboard.
“Anything can happen in 36 holes,” he said. “I also know that I can make a lot of birdies. I think I have as good a chance as anybody to make it through, and I'll get some good rest and I’ll be ready for the weekend.”
And that’s a much different mindset than he would have had during last season.
“I think six, seven months ago, that would have been a 76, 75,” he said. “I probably would have gotten super aggressive on holes I didn’t need to and maybe got a little aggressive on the putts coming in.
“But we can talk about roller coasters on the round today, but my life has been a pretty big roller coaster, so this is pretty smooth for me.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Anthony Kim’s Clutch Birdie Putt Keeps LIV Golf Comeback Hopes Alive.
