The 29-year-old A Lim Kim turned professional at the age of 18 in 2013 and started competing on the KLPGA Tour in 2016. She has secured three victories there with her first win coming at the Pak Se-ri Invitational in October 2018. In December 2020, Kim made her LPGA major championship debut at the U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas. 

Starting the final round five shots behind the leader, she made an incredible charge, birdieing the last three holes to shoot a 67. Her performance earned her a one-shot victory over Ko Jin-young and Amy Olson, securing her first major title. She then managed to earn a full-time membership spot on the LPGA Tour in 2021, and well, there was no looking back for her. Here is all you need to know about her.

Get to know A Lim Kim

A Lim Kim was born on October 4, 1995, in South Korea. The 29-year-old LPGA Tour professional is a rather private person and rarely puts up anything in public. She has only 3286 followers on Instagram, which is a rather low count for a public figure. As a result of which, not much is known about her family members, and neither has she posted anything about them. She became a professional at the young age of eighteen.

She attended Hanseo High School, Yangdong Middle School, and Yong In University, and there is nothing known about whether she went to college or not or which college she went to. Her other two wins on KLPGA are the 2019 MY Munyoung Queens Park Championship and the 2022 Creas F&C KLPGA Championship.

The 2020 season got shortened due to COVID-19, and it became all the more difficult for the players to earn a spot in the LPGA Tour. However, they decided that if any non-member won a major, they would be eligible to accept a full-time LPGA status. That was how her 2021 rookie season on the American Tour began. After her win, she said, “I love this course; I love this environment. I want to put a tent up here and stay a few more days.”

“I’m very honored to win the 75th U.S. Women’s Open,” said the pro back. “It feels different winning the tournament here. Back in Korea, the style and the environment are different… Glad we had the U.S. Women’s Open held in Houston. It was a great win.”

But as it turns out, her 2020 year was the best and worst year at the same time wrapped together. She might have won her first major, but she had to suffer too.

A Lim Kim played with a mask to grab her first win.

A Lim Kim, who was 25 years old back then, during her first victory, tested positive for the coronavirus. Due to the onset of the pandemic, the USGA that contests the US Women’s Open pushed back the tournament six months from its original date. Kim managed to grab the win with a face mask both on and off the golf course. This shows her dedication and determination to the game of golf.

“I’m OK to get positive tests for COVID-19,” Kim said through an interpreter, “but I don’t want to affect other people—players, a caddie that’s playing within the group—so that’s the reason I wear the mask throughout the round.” 

So far, she has managed to bag a whopping $2.7 million, having appeared in three seasons of the LPGA Tour. What are your thoughts about the talented golfer? Let us know in the comments section below!