Anthony Kim nominated for Best Comeback Athlete award at 2026 ESPYS
Anthony Kim has been nominated in the Best Comeback Athlete category of the 2026 ESPY Awards, with voting open to the public now, and result announced on Wednesday 15 July.
The 4Aces GC star won his first title in nearly 16 years at LIV Golf Adelaide in February, coming back from a five-shot deficit at The Grange Golf Club to shoot a 9-under 63, outshining two of the best players in world golf - Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
A three-time PGA Tour winner, Kim was once ranked sixth in the world, and was a part of the victorious United States team that won the 2008 Ryder Cup. In 2012, he underwent surgery on his left Achilles after rupturing a tendon, but the injury that was expected to keep him out of action for nine to 12 months turned into years.
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Multiple shoulder surgeries followed, in addition to hand surgery and a spinal fusion. But perhaps his toughest test was overcoming mental health challenges and addiction, which he took on with his mantra of “1% better every day” to rebuild his life and return to the sport. His comeback is a testament to unrelenting resolve.
Describing his final round in Adelaide Kim likened it to his life: “That was all the lows that I went through in my life that I got to dig out of. Every putt that went in, I felt the struggle, and I was overcoming it. It was therapeutic out there to fight through it and come out on top.”
The 41-year-old has bagged two top-10 finishes this season, with a tie for sixth at Virginia in May, in addition to his Adelaide win.
The 2026 ESPYS celebrates the biggest names and moments in sports, and this year's awards show returns to New York City and will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
