Anthony Kim of 4Aces GC reacts to his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the LIV Golf Adelaide at Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)
It seemed like golf was headed for its biggest names making the headlines this weekend. Scottie surged on Sunday at Pebble Beach after yet another below-average day in Round 1. While Bryson and Rham headed into Sunday tied for the lead at LIV Golf’s Adelaide. Yet when the dust settled on Sunday, two Asian-Americans would carry the headlines. Collin Morikawa was victorious at Pebble Beach for his first win in over two years. Not to be outdone by one of golf’s best comebacks, Anthony Kim claimed his comeback with a 63 on Sunday to win at LIV Golf’s Adelaide.
When the sun set in California on Friday, Collin Morikawa was behind Akshay Bhatia by 8 shots. Morikawa over Saturday and Sunday would then shoot 10-under and 5-under to storm back. While Bhatia may have faltered, the field showed up. Scottie Scheffler fired a round 9 under par. When Scheffler’s eagle putt on 18 dropped, it tied him for the lead at 20 under par and gave him his 3rd eagle on the day. Then came Min Woo Lee, who started the day at 14 under par, birdied 4 of his last 6 holes on his way to shooting a 7 under par 65 to finish his day at 21 under par, to usurp Scheffler’s clubhouse lead. Meaning that, as Morikawa walked down 18, he needed a birdie to win.
By the time the final grouping made it to 18, there was drama to be had. Jacob Bridgeman’s 18th hole went awry, and he was struggling to finish up as the winds of Pebble Beach had kicked up by then. Having to mark and replace his ball multiple times as the wind kept oscillating it.
After what, I can only imagine felt like forever, Morikawa finally had his chance to return to the winner’s circle. Morikawa then hit a 4-iron about 235 yards and stuck it in the right rough. Morikawa talked about the shot after the round, saying he “saw no world where” that ball was going left. He even spoke to the prior hole, in reference to his second shot on 18. He was hitting a 4-iron off the tee on 17 and pulled it left. His reasoning was, “I was taking so much speed off of that that I just forgot to keep turning. So hands get ahead.” However, on 18, he said it was different because “this was a full 4-iron… It wasn’t going anywhere distance-wise, short of the green or over the pin. Like it was landing there in a lot of scenarios that I had kind of played out.”
Morikawa was then able to get his putter on it out of the thick rough to get up-and-down for a winning birdie. His first victory on the PGA Tour in 847 days.
Kim’s Comeback
Drug and Alcohol abuse, an insurance policy, and relegation. If all that wasn’t enough, Kim sat 5 shots back of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. All things that stood in Anthony Kim’s way in his return to golf.
It simply did not matter. Not only did Kim come back, but he boat raced LIV’s two biggest stars on Sunday as he shot a 9-under 63. All while Rahm shot an even par 72 and DeChambeau fired a 2-over-par 74. Kim went on to win by 3 shots.
With every made birdie putt came a fist pump from Kim that reminded those who watched his rise in golf of a younger version of himself.
Everything after that final putt on 18 was a reminder of how far Kim has come. He was showered in sparkling water, and teammate Dustin Johnson even assured Kim that it was water during the celebration. His wife and young daughter then met Kim on the green. But Kim’s comments on what it meant to win in front of his daughter, Bella, are what struck me. “For her to be able to run on the green and see her dad isn’t a loser was one of the most special moments of my life,” Kim said.
A moment of vulnerability from the 40-year-old father reminded the golfing world that, however great the comeback on the course has been, Kim’s work off the course was all the more impressive.
Other Notes
Jake Knapp finished T-8 at Pebble Beach and has currently finished T-11 or better in all four of his events this year. He is currently a part of the AON Swing 5. A strong start to 2026 for the 31-year-old after having to battle through adversity in 2025.
Scottie Scheffler decided to repeat his strategy of taking Thursday of the tournament off. To then come storming back on Sunday. Though it has only happened twice, I feel like we are a bad Thursday at the Genesis from some, albeit really dumb, people start asking if Scottie has a Thursday problem.
We are now onto the Genesis Invitational. Another Signature event on the PGA Tour. The returning champ of the Tournament is Ludvig Åberg. However, the last player to win at Riviera Country Club was Hideki Matsuyama.
Note: The Genesis Invitational was not played at Riviera Country Club in 2025 due to the wildfires that ran through the Palisades area. Instead, it was played at Torrey Pines (South Course).
