A study suggests approximately one in eight women, or 13% of US women, suffer from breast cancer. LPGA Tour pros aren’t immune either. From Heather Farr to Mickey Wright, LPGA pros have grappled with breast cancer, and now Kim Kaufman has announced she has been diagnosed with stage 2b breast cancer.

It has effectively put her plans to regain her Tour card on hold. The 33-year-old joined the LPGA Tour in 2014. She has 12 career top-tens and 31 top-25 finishes. This year, Kaufman played only in the US Women’s Open, netting a T58. The LPGA Q-School offers 25 Tour cards to 99 players vying for it. The 2024 LPGA Q-School, a 90-hole tournament, will kick off on December 5 in Alabama and run through December 9. 

Kim had plans to sign up for the Q-School. “However, about ten days after the Tour Championship, I was diagnosed with stage 2b breast cancer. I have undergone a lumpectomy and will begin radiation (and possibly chemo) in the coming weeks. Q school isn’t just possible this year,” wrote Kaufman in the social media post. 

The National Breast Cancer Organization defines stage 2b breast cancer as when the tumor is 2-5 centimeters. The 5-year survival rate is between 86% and 99%. While Kaufman’s bid to tee off in the top circuit was shattered, the LPGA veteran found support from fans and her colleagues in the Tour. Certainly, Kaufman is not the only LPGA pro diagnosed with breast cancer. And the golf community prays she overcomes and comes back stronger. 

The Golf community and fellow pros come in support of Kim Kaufman

Angela Stanford, who retired from full-time professional golf this year, wrote, “Kim is one of our own @LPGA! Let’s do everything we can to help her! Stay strong, Kim.” Stanford lost her mother to breast cancer in 2022. She also runs the Angela Stanford Foundation, which provides scholarships to kids in Texas whose family member has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Canadian golfer and four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorrie Kane also came up with a strong message of support. She wrote, “Sending you prayers and strength!! Knowing you’ve got this.” Heather Farr’s untimely death from breast cancer was a moment of reckoning for the LPGA pros. Hall of Famers Judy Rankin and Mickey Wright all had to face the threat of breast cancer. 

In the wake of these incidents, LPGA pros formed a community to come together and support each other (and their families) during tough times. After Kaufman’s tweet, the LPGA Tour also responded, “Thinking of you, Kim.” Whereas LPGA Tour Christian Fellowship director Cris Stevens commented, “I will be praying for healing and provision for your needs along this journey. May you feel the love and prayers from all your LPGA community.”

Not just peers, but golf fans also rallied to support Kim Kaufman. One user wrote, “Praying for you, Kim. Cancer has nothing on you.” Clearly, Kaufman’s announcement has shocked fans. In the stage 2b phase, the cancer is contained within the breast tissues and most likely has spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Our thoughts are with Kim Kaufman.