Anthony Kim is rock bottom of the LIV Golf standings with just one event to play after making a surprise comeback earlier this season, but a loophole in the breakaway league's rules could spare him from relegation.
Kim was once among the PGA Tour's rising stars, winning three times and playing on the victorious 2008 United States Ryder Cup team, but he vanished from the scene in 2012 after a series of injuries.
The 39-year-old was one of golf's most mysterious figures, going completely off the grid until he made his return to competitive action in March as a "Wild Card". It has been a brutal reintroduction to professional competition for the California native, failing to score any points in his nine appearances so far.
He is in a tie for 55th place at the bottom of the standings with Hudson Swafford, who was given "Wild Card" status by LIV after missing the entirety of last season through injury. That leaves Kim in the Drop Zone ahead of the season finale at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Illinois next month.
Players who finish in 49th place or lower in LIV's standings at the end of the campaign will be relegated from the league, unable to return as a full-time members until 2026 at the earliest. But Wild Card players are exempt from relegation, meaning Kim and Swafford can play in the league next season if they receive a contract extension.
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The chances of Kim being signed up at this stage appear remote given his struggles since returning, although his form has gradually improved over the past few events and he finished in a season's-best 36th place at The Greenbrier on Sunday.
Kim can greatly help his cause with a big finish at Bolingbrook, where he will need to finish in at least 11th place to climb out of the Drop Zone. Although the threat of relegation is irrelevant for Kim, a finish above the dotted line would certainly make him a more appealing option for captains looking to make additions to their teams in the offseason.
Dustin Johnson's 4Aces teammates Harold Varner III and Pat Perez do not have the same luxury, however. The pair sit in 47th and 48th respectively, hovering precariously above the Drop Zone.
Both seasoned veterans, they will need to deliver a strong finish at Bolingbrook to be sure of their place in LIV next season. Were either of them to slide down the standings, however, it would create a significant headache for captain Johnson, who could be left scrambling to fill vacancies on his four-man squad ahead of the 2025 season.
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