anthony kim eyes major starts after Adelaide win and rule changes
Anthony Kim's stunning victory at LIV Golf Adelaide this past weekend has thrust a long-quiet career back into the spotlight and reshaped the veteran's chances of playing in the 2026 major championships. A rule change that brought world ranking points to LIV events and a new U. S. Open exemption for top LIV performers combine to give Kim multiple realistic routes into the game's biggest tournaments.
How the Adelaide win changed the math for majors
The Adelaide triumph produced an immediate and dramatic jump in the Official World Golf Ranking, lifting Kim from 847th to 203rd. That leap matters because the four majors use world ranking criteria and other exemptions to populate their fields. The most difficult target for Kim will likely be the Masters at Augusta National, April 9-12, 2026 ET, which traditionally invites players inside the top 50 on the OWGR by the cutoff date. The cutoff this year falls on April 6, 2026 ET, meaning Kim needs to climb roughly 153 more spots in a narrow window.
Only three LIV events remain before that Masters cutoff, so additional high finishes or another victory will probably be required to reach the top 50 in time. The inclusion of LIV events in the OWGR — a rule change enacted ahead of the 2026 season that awards world points to top-10 finishers in LIV tournaments — is the key reason Kim even has a mathematical chance.
The PGA Championship is a slightly less steep climb. Its world-ranking invitations historically extend deeper into the standings — commonly into the top 100 — and the timing gives Kim more events to accrue points than the Masters window allows. The practical result: a pair of strong LIV weeks or another win could well move him into PGA Championship contention.
Multiple paths into the U. S. Open and the wider significance
The U. S. Open presents the clearest path of the majors for Kim. The USGA awards spots to players inside the top 60 on the OWGR by May 18, 2026 ET, but there is another route specific to LIV competitors: the governing body set a special exemption for 2026 that grants entry to the top LIV player in the individual standings who is not otherwise exempt and sits in the top three of the LIV Individual standings as of May 18, 2026 ET.
Kim's Adelaide victory vaulted him to second in the LIV Individual standings, with only one player ahead of him in the leaderboard. That position puts him squarely within reach of the special exemption, provided players ahead of him are already exempt through other criteria. Even without that exemption, a sustained run up the OWGR could secure a spot by the May 18 ranking deadline.
Beyond the qualifications themselves, the reaction from the game has been one of nostalgia and genuine respect. A celebrated peer praised Kim's return, noting the swing repertoire and shotmaking that once made him a marquee player. Observers highlighted Kim's 2008 breakout, Ryder Cup exploits and his 2010 major-high finish as reminders of how special his peak form was. The comeback storyline — battling injuries, stepping away from the sport and then returning to win again — resonates on and off the course.
Outlook and what to watch
Kim's calendar between now and the key April and May deadlines will determine whether this emotional win becomes the gateway to the sport's biggest stages. If he strings together more top finishes or steals another victory in a LIV event, the odds of seeing him at Augusta or in one of the other majors rise substantially. The inclusion of LIV events in the OWGR and the U. S. Open's special exemption for top LIV performers are the structural changes that have made that possibility real.
For fans and fellow players alike, the immediate story is about momentum: Kim's Adelaide scorecard rewrote his standing overnight and put the onus on him to capitalize while the season is young. The coming weeks, with pivotal ranking deadlines in April and May 2026 ET, will tell whether this comeback reaches the game's grandest stages.
