Tommy’s Take: Morikawa’s Magic, Kim’s Redemption, and a Week to Remember
Welcome to the first edition of Tommy’s Take, your weekly wrap-up of everything that matters in the world of golf. We’re going to sift through the leaderboards, ignore the noise, and focus on the stories that got our hearts racing. And honestly? Week two of the 2026 season set a bar that’s going to be hard to beat.
The Closer at Pebble
Let’s start on the Monterey Peninsula, where the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am served up a final round for the ages. While a lot of us were focused on the big names—and credit to Scottie Scheffler for a stunning 63 on Sunday to lurk—it was Collin Morikawa who reminded us why he’s already a major champion.
Morikawa has often been criticized for his putting holding him back, but Sunday at Pebble, he was ice cold. Needing a birdie on the 72nd hole to win, after watching Sepp Straka eagle the 18th just moments earlier to tie the lead, Morikawa stepped up and rolled in the clutch putt to get to 22-under and seal the deal by one. It was a vintage performance from a guy who just knows how to win. In a signature event with a stacked field, Morikawa stood tallest.
The Resurrection of Anthony Kim
As magical as Pebble Beach was, it wasn't the most emotional story of the week. That happened 8,000 miles away in Adelaide.
Anthony Kim won the LIV Golf Adelaide event. I’m going to let that sentence sink in for a second because if you told me that five years ago, I’d have laughed in your face.
This wasn't just a win; it was a full-circle moment 16 years in the making. We all remember the AK of old—the talent, the swagger, the Ryder Cup dominance. But then he vanished. The golf world moved on, largely unaware of the "very dark moments" and the battles with addiction that plagued him behind the scenes.
Kim, now 40, has been open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol, admitting he contemplated ending his life. His path back was brutal. He joined LIV last year but was so far from competitive that he lost his card. He had to grind through LIV's Promotions event just to get back on the circuit. And even then, he only got a spot on Dustin Johnson's 4Aces team because Patrick Reed moved on.
Then came Sunday. Starting five shots back of Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, Kim went out and shot a flawless 9-under 63, holding his nerve to beat Rahm by three. Watching him hug his wife and daughter on the 18th green was the kind of raw emotion golf rarely produces. You could see the weight of the lost years lift off his shoulders.
Regardless of what you think of the tour, you have to respect the field. Jon Rahm was right there. Bryson was right there. And Kim blew past them both.
What made it even cooler was the reaction from the wider golf world. You had Dustin Johnson and his teammates clearly buzzing for him. Jon Rahm admitted he almost teared up watching it, saying, "any man with a soul is going to have a soft spot for that."
But the classiest move came from Tiger Woods. Now, we know Tiger isn't exactly flying the LIV flag, but when asked about Kim’s win at the Genesis Invitational, he didn't hesitate. Tiger talked about the immense natural talent Kim had, how he could "hit any shot he wanted." And then he added: "Then to see him struggle in life... for him to come all the way back and for him to win... you just have to wrap your heart around it because of the struggles. We can all relate to struggles."
For Tiger Woods to take time to acknowledge that journey speaks volumes. Kim said his goal coming out of rehab was to help people. By winning, he gets the platform. And if his story helps even one person struggling, that’s bigger than any trophy.
Quick Outs:
European Tour: Over in the Middle East, Patrick Reed is on fire. He won the Qatar Masters, marking his second win in three weeks on the DP World Tour. Love him or hate him, the guy is playing some seriously gritty golf right now.
That’s it for this week’s Take. From Morikawa’s clutch putt to AK’s redemption song, it was a reminder of why we love this crazy game.