Hyo-Joo Kim: Player Profile
Who is Hyo-Joo Kim?
Hyo-Joo Kim is part of the leading group of South Koreans at the head of the LPGA Tour, with a major and more than 20 professional victories to her name.
Kim was born in Wonju in the Gangwon Province of South Korea in July 1995, and began playing the sport at the age of 7. She went on to have a successful amateur career, which included winning three professional tournaments across three different Asian tours before she turned pro in 2012 at the age of just 17.
2014 was a breakout year for Kim, as she won seven times. She stunned the golfing world by winning the Evian Championship on what was her major championship debut. That was sandwiched in between six other victories on the LPGA Tour of Korea, as she ran away at the top of the Money List for her home nation’s tour.
Kim has gone on to win six times on the LPGA Tour, and has a total of 22 professional victories, including those three as an amateur. She also has top-six finishes in each of the other four major championships, and has represented her country in both the amateur and professional games.
Hyo-Joo Kim | An Overview
Personal Information
Name: Hyo-Joo Kim
Born: July 14, 1995
Nationality: South Korea
Residence: Wonju, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Career
College: Korea University
Turned Pro: 2012
Professional Wins: 22
Highest World Ranking: 4 – March 16, 2015
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Chevron Championship – T6 (2019)
– Women’s PGA Championship – T3 (2021)
– US Women’s Open – 2nd (2018)
– Amundi Evian Championship – WON (2014)
– AIG Women’s Open – T4 (2023)
Professional Wins – 22
2012 (4) – Lotte Mart Women’s Open, Suntory Ladies Open, Swinging Skirts TLPGA Open, Hyundai China Ladies Open
2014 (7) – Kia Motors Korea Women’s Open, Kumho Tire Ladies Open, Hanwha Finance Classic, Evian Championship, Hite Jinro Championship, KB Financial Star Championship, Hyundai China Ladies Open
2015 (2) – JTBC Founders Cup, Kumho Tire Ladies Open
2016 (2) – Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, Hyundai China Ladies Open
2020 (2) – Lotte Cantata Ladies Open, KB Financial Group Star Championship
2021 (3) – HSBC Women’s World Championship, OKSavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational, SK Networks Seokyung Ladies Classic
2022 (1) – Lotte Championship
2023 (1) – Volunteers of America Classic
Achievements and Awards
LPGA Tour of Korea Leading Money Winner – 2014, 2020
Hyo-Joo Kim | What’s In Her Bag?
Kim plays mainly Yonex clubs, with an EZONE GT driver and hybrid, along with two fairway woods. She also uses EZONE CB 701 and 501 irons, along with Titleist Vokey Design wedges and an Odyssey putter. The South Korean plays with the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball.
You can see our full piece on what is in Kim’s bag here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hyo-Joo Kim
When and where was Hyo-Joo Kim born?
Hyo-Joo Kim was born in Wonju, Gangwon Province, South Korea in July 1995. She took up the game at the age of 7, and went on to have a successful amateur career
When did Hyo-Joo Kim turn professional?
Hyo-Joo Kim turned professional in 2012 after graduating from Korea University, having already won three professional tournaments during her amateur career.
How many LPGA Tour titles has Hyo-Joo Kim won?
As of March 2024, Hyo-Joo Kim is a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Those six wins include a major title – the 2014 Evian Championship. She has 22 victories in total during her career.
Did you Know?
Winning Her Major Debut
Kim’s first victory on the LPGA Tour came in September 2014 at the Evian Championship. In doing so, her maiden major title was also her maiden LPGA Tour victory.
Not only was it her first major championship and her first LPGA Tour title, but it was also the South Korean’s first appearance at a major championship. She has gone on to record at least two top-ten finishes in each of the other four major championships.
Single Round Major Record
During her Evian Championship victory, Kim shot a record-low 61. That was matched by both Leona Maguire and Jeong-eun Lee in 2021, also at the Evian Resort in France.
Wins on Three Tours as an Amateur
Before turning professional in 2012, Kim had already secured victories on three professional tours. She won the Lotte Mart Women’s Open on the LPGA Tour of Korea, the Suntory Ladies Open on the LPGA Tour of Japan, and the Swinging Skirts TLPGA Open on the LPGA Tour of Taiwan.
Other Hyo-Joo Kim Articles
How would you rank Hyo-joo Kim’s career so far? Can the Korean win another major championship? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
