Anthony Kim's Win Is Everything LIV Isn't, Pebble Beach Takeaways, And Charley Hull Pays Off The Mortgage

Anthony Kim won a golf tournament this weekend. That's such a simple sentence, but there's absolutely nothing simple about his journey back to the winner's circle. The Hollywood-like story he completed on Sunday by winning LIV Golf Adelaide was certainly a win for the Saudi-backed circuit, but the juxtaposition of it all is impossible to ignore.

Pebble Beach, and the forecast, delivered a chaotic and memorable Sunday on the PGA Tour. Scottie Scheffler didn't win the golf tournament, but put on an absolute clinic, while Collin Morikawa did just enough down the stretch to earn his first win on Tour since October 2023. There are many takeaways from the Pebble Beach Pro-Am we'll get to.

And then there was Charley Hull, who won the first Ladies' European Tour event of 2026, and celebrated accordingly by admiring the gigantic trophy now in her possession while not being shy about what she'll be doing with her winnings.

Thanks for reading this week's edition of Par Talk. As always, feel free to reach out via email at mark.harris@outkick.com or find me on X @itismarkharris.

Anthony Kim's Win Represents Everything LIV Golf Isn't

Anthony Kim chasing down Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to win LIV Golf Adelaide on Sunday was, undoubtedly, the best day in the circuit's history since its inaugural event in 2022. And yes, even better than DeChambeau winning the 2024 U.S. Open over Rory McIlroy while already a member of LIV.

While Kim's victory in Australia was a major win for LIV, it's hard to ignore how contradictory it was to LIV's business model and overall approach to the game.

LIV Golf is not an overly complicated entity; in fact, it's as straightforward as they come. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is valued at over $1 trillion, and the Saudis simply took hundreds of millions of dollars, used it to create the circuit, and got players to sign on by offering them ginormous contracts and guaranteed paydays with no-cut events. Outside of a player's résumé, there was no aspect of a player earning their way onto LIV.

Kim, after living life entirely in the shadows for more than a decade, did sign a deal with LIV in 2024 to join the circuit, but as a wildcard, and to say things went poorly would be an understatement. In 2024, he finished 56th out of 59 players in the season-long standings, and after only improving one spot the following season, Kim's only option to get back onto the circuit was to earn it through LIV's promotion tournament.

The Top 3 finishers in the event would earn full-season status for the 2026 LIV season, and Kim finished third. He earned his way back onto the circuit for one more season as a wildcard player, and it was up to him and only him to make something happen, not only in 2026, but for his future.

Things fell into place for Kim in the lead-up to LIV Adelaide as he joined the 4Aces team led by Dustin Johnson, replacing Patrick Reed, but Kim didn't take that as a sign he should settle, now with a bit of comfort on his side as a member of a squad.

No, instead, he erased the five-shot deficit he began the final round with and fired a flawless 63 to win the golf tournament by three shots. He beat DeChambeau on Sunday by 11 shots, and Rahm by eight, in what has turned into LIV's signature event for his first professional win in more than 5,700 days.

It's not an exaggeration to say Kim's LIV Golf victory is the comeback story of a lifetime, and any good comeback story includes adversity and earning what you believe is yours. Kim checked both of those boxes with authority.

Kim lived a completely off-the-grid life for over a decade, endured life's trials and tribulations, encountered countless injuries and surgeries, sought help, got sober, started a family, and then he got to work while managing to find those two things anyone who's ever accomplished anything must have: purpose and self-belief.

Charley Hull Pays Off Her House

Speaking of earning a victory, that's exactly what Charley Hull did during the final round of the PIF Saudi Ladies International.

After making a bogey on the Par 4 10th hole it looked as if the England native was going to fall just short of putting together a memorable comeback to claim the title, but then she flipped the switch. A birdie on the 11th hole jump-started a run of playing her final eight holes at 6-under par en route to a final round 65 and a one-shot victory.

Hull's win, her fifth on the European circuit, earned her a paycheck of $750,000, and while most wouldn't immediately comment about winnings, she wasted no time in letting the world know where the money is headed.

"At least that will pay my house off now," she said with a smile after the victory became final. She also was spotted taking a video of the ginormous trophy she won, asking her carpenter who was building her a new trophy case to make sure it would accommodate the piece of hardware.

Collin Morikawa Gets The Job Done At A Nasty Pebble Beach

Collin Morikawa deserves a ton of credit for his play down the stretch at Pebble on Sunday. With the weather getting nastier every hole, Scottie Scheffler initially grabbed the clubhouse lead at 20-under after an absurd 63, the moment had all the signs of Morikawa coming up just short, and he nearly did just that.

The real scare came on the Par 3 17th when he nearly found the Pacific Ocean with his tee shot. Luckily, he drew an above-average lie in the thick stuff, found the dance floor with an iffy flop shot, and walked away with what was his second bogey of the day.

Then the nightmare scenario unfolded on the 18th hole, but he somehow avoided disaster. Not only did he have to wait at least 15 minutes to hit his tee shot with winds gusting well over 30 mph, but he waited another 20 minutes in the fairway thanks to Jacob Bridgeman hitting his ball off the rocks of the Pacific not once, but twice.

Morikawa trusted his patented cut shot, even with the wind howling off the left, and hit what has to be the best shot he's hit in years to give himself a routine up-and-down opportunity to win the golf tournament at 22-under par, one shot better than Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka.

With six different players finishing within three of Morikawa, there were other notables from the week at Pebble:

- If Scottie Scheffler remembers how to play on Thursdays, he may never lose again. He trailed the leader by 10 shots after the opening round, yet earned his 19th consecutive Top 10 finish on Tour thanks to a final round 63 on Sunday.

- When Min Woo Lee is on, he's unbelievably fun to watch. He's that awesome mix of being fearless over every single shot he looks at, yet comes across as laid back as ever. The 190mph ball speed he registered on the 72nd tee on Sunday was ridiculous. Now, we just need more consistency out of the Aussie.

- Tommy Fleetwood is still Tommy Fleetwood. Pebble Beach was his first start on Tour this season, and a weekend of 68-67 was good enough for a T-4 finish. Maybe him dropping his Nike apparel sponsor this season could be his secret weapon. His putter and short-game were on fire throughout the week.

- Sam Burns needed an eagle on the final hole to have any hope of earning a spot in a playoff at 21-under. He opted to hit an iron off the tee, and made par, in one of the most bizarre decisions a Tour pro has maybe ever made.

- Like Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy made his season debut this week at Pebble. There was some rust in the early stages of the tournament, as he carded three double bogeys on the week, but he was most comfortable in the worst of the weather, as he managed a 64 on Sunday. Don't be shocked if you see him win this upcoming week at Riviera.