California Dreaming - AK and Morikawa

Last weekend reminded us why golf (and live sport) remains unmatched for drama and storylines. On opposite sides of the world, two players hailing from California delivered victories that resonated for very different reasons. One, a comeback story bordering on mythical. The other, a timely reminder of enduring class. 

AK

At LIV Golf Adelaide, Anthony Kim completed one of the most remarkable returns to the game that's ever been seen. 16 years removed from his last win, and after more than a decade away from golf, Kim took down two of the game’s behemoths in Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.  

Starting the day five strokes behind, Kim reeled off nine birdies, combined with no bogies, for a stunning final round 63 and three-shot victory. Four birdies in a row, starting at the 12^th, had him fist-pumping like a man possessed. And he was, finishing at 23-under-par for a win that many thought (including myself) was virtually impossible.  

This wasn’t just another golf tournament. It was a deeply human story.

Kim had been one of the brightest stars in the game, his talent seemed limitless with a swagger and cockiness to match. Then, he disappeared amid injuries and personal battles. Known as the golfing Yeti with rare sightings every few years, we all wondered if we'd ever see him swing a club again. LIV Golf came along and offered that chance.

At first it felt like a sideshow, his golf reflecting the years away from the game. But, at the end of his second year on LIV, some flashes of the old 'AK' began. Demoted, he qualified this time around on his own merits, and after gaining a last-minute Visa to enter Australia, found himself in the final group in Adelaide on Sunday five back of LIV's biggest stars. Surely this couldn't happen. Could it?

His victory wasn’t about money, rankings, or rival tours.  

It was about resilience, and proof that anyone's story can always be re-written.

Morikawa

Meanwhile, across the Pacific at Pebble Beach, another Californian delivered a masterclass of a different kind. Collin Morikawa's victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was defined not by a comeback from absence but by the patience required to return to the winner’s circle.  

It was vintage Morikawa. Precision iron play, calm under pressure, and flawless execution when it mattered most. Challengers came hard, too. First, the World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler eagled the last to set the clubhouse lead after a final round 63. Then, our own Min Woo Lee, who posted 65, went one better than Scheffler. After a bogey on 17, Morikawa needed a birdie up the last for victory. His go-to shot is a fade, and with the wind whipping off the left on the iconic par 5 closing hole, it meant he had to take on the Pacific Ocean from the tee and again into the green. After a perfect tee shot, he struck a sublime 4-iron from 235 yards to the green’s edge. He negotiated the final two strokes for the win as elite players do. With clarity and class. 

Morikawa’s win was built on control and strategy, for Pebble Beach demands both. His victory a reminder that these fundamentals still matter in a game where power and distance have become a necessity at this level. 

Together, Kim’s and Morikawa’s wins captured the full emotional spectrum of professional golf. 

One represented a return from the wilderness. The other, a return to form. 

Different journeys. Same destination.