Christina Kim is a 39-year-old golfer who is well renowned for her animated play, her flamboyant dresses, and most of all her outgoing personality. She plays on the LPGA Tour which is currently in Hawaii, and thanks to many golfers being on rest, Kim has qualified to play in the Lotte Championship.
Christina Kim likes the fact that she’s terrified
Kim, a native of California, shot a five-under 67 on Friday at Hoakalei Country Club, making her fourth cut in her previous 15 outings and putting her at six under par and in contention for the first time since 2020. She is only two shots behind the leaders, Yu Jin Sung and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, in a tie for the fifth place.
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“Stuff is scary. I still want it so bad, and so the first eight holes or so yesterday I was white-knuckling it,” commented California’s golfer Kim. “It was just amazing to be so terrified.”
Kim’s pro-am partner EJ who instructs neighborhood kids told her anything that short never goes in. She was able to focus for the remainder of the first round and carry that attitude into Thursday as a result of it. “Today was just the same thing: Just ride it and enjoy the ride,” Kim said. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. I’ve been doing this for so damn long, and I love the fact that it still terrifies me.”
After one of her worst seasons last year, the 21-year LPGA veteran is in contention at the Lotte Championship.
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 14, 2023
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Christina Kim opted out in 2022 at Hoakalei
Kim purposely decided not to play at Hoakalei last year, a decision she had made given the number of guaranteed starts she had accrued, as a reminder of how drastically her LPGA world had changed. In the end, she participated in 19 tournaments in 2022, placed 168th on the CME points list, and lost her status for this season. “I did have to take last year off for a number of reasons,” Kim said, “Your girl was going through it.”
Now that Kim is vying for an LPGA career that is almost 21 years old, her emphasis on having fun off the course is paying off. Kim exhibits young excitement on the course despite being the second-most experienced player in the field, right behind Cristie Kerr, who began her LPGA career in 1997.
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So, what do you think of Christina Kim? Let us know in the comments below!
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