Anthony Kim soared from 847th to 203rd in the Official World Golf Ranking released on Monday following his first tournament win since 2010.
The LIV Golf Adelaide champion still has a lot of work left to do but is back in the conversation for the Masters and other majors following a 12-year absence from the sport for injury and addiction recovery.
Kim, 40, has not competed in a grand slam event since he missed the cut at the 2011 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga.
The OWGR began awarding world ranking points to the top-10 finishers in LIV Golf events this season. Kim tied for 22nd at the season-opening event in Riyadh earlier this month before breaking through in Australia, where his final score of 23-under was three shots clear of Spain's Jon Rahm.
At No. 203, Kim would still need to climb another 153 spots to make the top 50 in the OWGR in time to secure an automatic invitation to the Masters (April 9-12). There are only three LIV Golf events between now and then: Hong Kong (March 5-8), Singapore (March 12-15) and South Africa (March 19-22).
As for the May 14-17 PGA Championship at Aronimink, players ranked within the top 100 of the OWGR typically get invitations.
The world ranking is not the only pathway for Kim to qualify for the U.S. Open or The Open Championship.
Last year, the USGA announced a special exemption for the U.S. Open for LIV players. For the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills from June 18-21, "the top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 18, 2026" will get in.
The R&A also has an LIV-tailored exemption for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from July 16-19. One spot will be awarded to "the first player and anyone tying for that place, not otherwise exempt, in the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Season Standings on completion of LIV Golf Louisiana (June 25-28)."
Kim currently sits second in the LIV individual standings behind Rahm.
--Field Level Media
