KIMBERLY KIM (a)

Birthdate: August 23, 1991

Birth Place: Hilo, Ha.

Age: 17 - Ht.: 5’4"

Home: Pahoa, Hawaii

Player Notes:

Kimberly Kim is a long hitting teen prodigy from Hilo, Hawaii. Kim has been a good junior player for several years, but really broke through in 2006 in a huge way. Her summer started with a bang when she reached the finals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links.. She lost that match to Tiffany Joh. Kim really astounded the world later in the summer at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She relentlessly worked her way through the field, finally making the finals. In the process, she became the youngest golfer to ever get to the finals of a national amateur golf championship. She fell five holes down at one point, but clawed her way back to a 1-up lead with four holes to go. Despite amazing play by her opponent, she hung onto that lead, making a birdie on the final hole to win the title. Needless to say, she is the youngest to ever win that title, male or female.

Later in the year she represented the USA at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. She moved to Arizona to be closer to the top golf action in the country, but still considers herself a Hawaiian. She returned to the islands in early 2007 to play a pair of LPGA events via sponsor’s exemptions. She missed both cuts, but it was a worthwhile experience for her nonetheless.

Kim would miss the cut at all three Majors she played in 2007. She tied the record for the lowest 18-hole score in the history of the USGA when she shot a 10-under-par 62 in the first round of the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Girls’ Junior. She would end up as medalist, but lost in the quarterfinals of match play. At the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she was defending, she played well, but lost in the semis to Duke star Amanda Blumenhurst.

Throughout much of the Fall, she found herself in a pitched battle with Vicky Hurst for AJGA top player. In the end, Hurst won out, thanks to a win at the season ending Ping Invitational.

Among the highlights of Kim’s 2008 season was a berth on the USA Curtis Cup team.

2006 LPGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered -1; Rounds Played - 4; In Money - 1; Top-10 Finishes - 0; Scoring Average - 77.25; Money - $0.00; Best Finish - T-66th at the U.S. Women’s Open

2007 LPGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered -5; Rounds Played - 10; In Money - 0; Top-10 Finishes - 0; Scoring Average - 75.40; Money - $0.00; Best Finish - Cut at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay,Fields Open in Hawaii,Kraft Nabisco Championship,McDonald’s LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open

2008 LPGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered -1; Rounds Played - 2; In Money - 0; Top-10 Finishes - 0; Scoring Average - 78.00; Money - $0.00; Best Finish - Cut at the U.S. Women’s Open