Anthony Kim eyes major starts thanks to huge win (and rule changes)
Anthony Kim produced a startling comeback weekend at the 2026 LIV Adelaide event, his first victory in 16 years, and the result has suddenly put him within striking distance of the sport’s biggest tournaments. A recent rule change that awards world ranking points to top finishers in LIV events turbocharged his climb, creating concrete pathways into multiple majors this spring and summer.
Masters: a steep climb to Augusta
The 2026 Masters is set for April 9–12, 2026 (ET) at Augusta National, and the most direct route for Kim remains the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The Masters generally invites players who are inside the top 50 of the OWGR as of the relevant cutoff; Kim needs to be in the top 50 by April 6, 2026 (ET) to secure his place without relying on a special invitation.
This year’s recognition of LIV Golf events by the OWGR has been pivotal. Top-10 finishes in LIV tournaments now yield ranking points, and Kim’s Adelaide victory catapulted him from 847th to 203rd in the world. That’s a massive leap, but it still leaves him 153 spots short of the Masters’ typical top-50 threshold. With only three LIV events remaining before the April cutoff, the practical pathway to Augusta likely requires another win or two on the LIV schedule to accelerate his points accumulation and move him into contention for a top-50 berth.
PGA Championship and U. S. Open: multiple doors open
Kim’s prospects for the PGA Championship, scheduled for May at Aronimink, are comparatively more attainable. While the tournament does not have a single immutable world-ranking cutoff like the Masters, it traditionally extends invitations to a broader slice of the OWGR—commonly players ranked inside the top 100. That gives Kim more ground and time to climb than the Masters would allow.
The U. S. Open at Shinnecock Hills presents two clear pathways. First, the standard world-ranking route awards spots to players inside the top 60 by the week before the championship; for 2026 that cutoff falls on May 18 (ET). Second, a special exemption created for LIV competitors offers a targeted portal: the top player who is not otherwise exempt and who finishes in the top three of the 2026 LIV individual standings as of May 18 will receive a direct exemption into the U. S. Open.
Kim currently sits second in the LIV individual standings following Adelaide, with only one player ahead of him. That position places him squarely within reach of the special exemption if he remains among the top three in the LIV race on May 18, provided players above him are already exempt by other criteria.
What Kim needs next and the outlook
The combination of his Adelaide triumph and the OWGR recognition of LIV events has changed the calculus for Kim’s 2026 season. His immediate priorities are clear: capitalize on the momentum in the remaining LIV events to pick up more ranking points, defend and extend his high placing in the LIV individual standings, and chase additional victories that would compress the timeline to the Masters, PGA and U. S. Open.
Realistically, the Masters remains the toughest target because of the tight top-50 requirement and the early-April cutoff. The PGA Championship and U. S. Open present more achievable options—either through continued world-ranking ascension or the LIV-specific exemption into the U. S. Open. If Kim can string together another top result or two in the next weeks, his comeback could culminate in major starts for the first time since 2011, transforming a single weekend win into a season-defining return to the highest stages of the game.
