When Your Golf Game Goes Missing: Find It in 3 Rounds
Last weekend, Anthony Kim did something most people thought was impossible.
After nearly 16 years away from professional golf, not on tour, not competing, just gone, he won at LIV Golf Adelaide.
Not a solid finish. Not a respectable showing. He won.
But what matters for those of us who aren’t cashing million-dollar checks is that Kim’s story isn’t really about a comeback. It’s about what happens when you walk back to something that used to feel natural and now feels completely foreign.
Whatever you think about LIV, the comeback part is the point.
If you’re the golfer who used to be steady and now feels shaky, this is for you.
The Real Opponent Isn’t Rust
Maybe you took a winter off. Maybe it’s been a few years since you played regularly. Maybe last season was rough and you’re dreading the first round of spring.
When Kim returned to competitive golf in 2024, he wasn’t just fighting time away from tournament golf. He was fighting the weight of expectations: his own, everyone else’s, and that nagging voice asking: “Can I still do this?”
That’s the same voice that shows up when you:
Step onto the first tee after months away
Try to hit a shot you used to make without thinking
Compare your current swing to how you “used to play”
The difference between Kim and most comeback stories? He didn’t pretend the doubt wasn’t there. He just showed up anyway.
Three Things Kim’s Win Teaches Weekend Golfers
1. Your Old Swing Is Gone (Stop Looking for It)
The swing you had last year or five years ago isn’t coming back. Not exactly. And that’s fine.
Kim didn’t win by recreating his 2008 form. He won by building something new with what he has now. Your mission isn’t to “get back” to anything. It’s to figure out what works today.
This weekend: Stop comparing yourself to your old highlights reel. Play the round in front of you with the swing you have now.
2. Confidence Doesn’t Return All at Once
Kim had to earn his way back onto LIV for 2026 just weeks before this win. He wasn’t dominating every event leading up to Adelaide. He was grinding, learning, and slowly stacking small wins.
Confidence rebuilds shot by shot, not round by round. One good drive. One solid up-and-down. One putt that drops when you need it.
This weekend: Set one tiny goal per round, something you can control (commit to your line on putts, finish your wedge swings, take an extra club on approach shots). Stack enough of those and the game starts to feel like yours again.
3. Showing Up Is the Whole Strategy
Kim could’ve stayed away. No one would’ve blamed him. Instead, he showed up when his game wasn’t ready, when he wasn't winning, when it would’ve been easier to quit again.
That’s the lesson: You can’t rebuild confidence without putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.
Book the tee time even if you’re not “ready.” Play the round even if your last practice session was rough. The only way back is through.
The Part No One Talks About
What the highlight packages don’t show is that Kim probably hit plenty of bad shots on Sunday. He definitely had moments of doubt. The difference between winning and falling apart wasn’t perfection. It was what he did after the bad shots.
That’s the next-shot skill worth practicing.
Not the swing. Not the distance. The ability to hit a terrible drive, take a breath, and still trust yourself on the next shot.
Your next step
If you’re coming back to golf after time away or if your game just feels lost right now, stop waiting to “find your swing” before you play. The swing finds you when you show up enough times.
Kim proved that this weekend. You can prove it this weekend too.
The free section above gives you the mindset and weekend strategy. Below, paid subscribers get the exact 3-round system with drills, tracking tools, and the reset routine you can use between shots when doubt creeps in.