(Photo credit: Jeff Swinger-Imagn Images)

Anthony Kim's storybook return to the professional golf world added another chapter on Thursday when he finished his first round as a member of the 4Aces tied for third at LIV Golf Adelaide.

Kim joined Dustin Johnson's team before the second event of the 2026 season, replacing Patrick Reed on a full-time basis. He promptly shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday and sits in a tie for third along with Johnson following the first round, just one shot off the lead shared by Bryson DeChambeau and Marc Leishman.

It's something of a full circle moment for the 40-year-old Kim.

The one-time rising star returned from a 12-year hiatus in 2024 and played the past two seasons as a wild card. However, he was relegated after the 2025 season and had to go through the Promotions event, where he made the cut on the number before finishing third to regain his place in the league.

But it wasn't until Reed announced his intention to return to the PGA Tour that a spot on a team finally opened up for Kim. It wasn't an automatic yes for Kim, who said he was drawn to the 4Aces because he likes Johnson and fellow new teammates Thomas Pieters and LIV newcomer Thomas Detry.

'Obviously I wouldn't have accepted to be on the team if I didn't like all three of the guys,' Kim said after Thursday's round. 'Certainly being around those guys that I like, I'll enjoy my time more.

'But I enjoy my time with my daughter and my wife. I don't need more support than that. But to have some extra guys that I like being around is going to be very helpful.'

Family has remained at the core of Kim's resurgence. A three-time winner across six seasons on the PGA Tour in his 20s, Kim had Achilles tendon surgery in 2012 and has been open about his rehab from drug and alcohol addiction during his hiatus from professional golf.

Kim failed to finish better than 36th and placed 50th or worse in five of 11 LIV Golf events in 2024. He played in 13 events last year, with a T25 in Dallas and a T29 in Miami his only finishes better than T44.

Kim wound up in the relegation zone, and it appeared his LIV Golf days could be numbered. But he rebounded to earn a wild-card spot in the Promotions event and then was signed to 4Aces after opening the season with a T22 in Riyadh last week.

In addition to his T22 last week, Kim closed out 2025 with a T5 at the PIF Saudi International. He has risen from 4,221st in the Official World Golf Ranking two years ago to No. 847, and that climb can continue with LIV players now receiving world rankings points for top-10 finishes.

'I think I'm delusional enough that my expectations were the same today as they were two years ago,' he said. 'But now I'm actually able to produce some of the good shots.

'My goals are the same as they were when I first joined LIV. It's to get 1% better every day, stay sober, enjoy time with my family, and whatever happens happens, because all I can do is try my best.'

It's a worldly perspective that Kim admits he did not possess in his younger days. Those are in the rear-view mirror, and Kim now able to accept advice on and off the course.

'I think what I'm doing better is using my experience and my age to my advantage on the golf course. I'm more patient out there. Do I want to break 12 clubs some rounds? Absolutely. But I'm focusing on the next shot,' he said.

'People told me in my early 20s that that's what I should be doing, and I don't know if it was arrogance or confidence that I didn't want to listen. But I'm playing smarter. I'm staying more patient. I really want nothing to do with that 20-something-year-old kid. I want to be right where I am.

'I'm very blessed to have an amazing family and be alive. This is awesome.'

--Field Level Media