Hyo Joo Kim Bio
Hyo Joo Kim, born on July 14, 1995, is a South Korean professional golfer who competes on the LPGA of Korea Tour and the LPGA Tour. She first captured global attention in 2014 when she won the Evian Championship and carded a 61 in the opening round, setting the record for the lowest 18-hole score in a women’s major championship. Since turning professional in 2012, she has built a resume that includes major championship success, multiple tour titles, and consistent contention on the world’s biggest stages. As of the 2025 season, she remains one of the most accomplished Korean players in the women’s game.
Early Life and Background
Hyo Joo Kim was born on July 14, 1995, in Wonju, a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. She grew up in a country where golf has long attracted a deep pool of young talent, and she began playing the sport at a young age. Her early development in the Korean amateur system helped shape the smooth, balanced swing that has since become a recognizable part of her game.
Kim’s amateur career moved quickly. She represented South Korea in team competitions and earned a reputation as one of the country’s most promising young players, highlighted by her selection for international amateur events. Her results in junior and amateur golf were strong enough that she chose to turn professional in 2012 rather than pursue a long amateur schedule.
She attended Korea University, balancing her studies with an emerging professional career. Her education in Seoul placed her near some of the country’s most established training facilities, which supported her transition into full-time tournament play.
Path to Golf
Kim’s rise through the Korean amateur ranks gave her a clear path into the professional game. By the time she turned professional in 2012, she had already gained valuable experience in high-level amateur events. Her decision to join the LPGA of Korea Tour allowed her to compete regularly against established players and to refine her tournament skills.
Her early seasons on the LPGA of Korea Tour produced several victories, and she finished as the tour’s leading money winner in 2014. That same year, she received an invitation to the Evian Championship, one of the five women’s major championships, marking her first appearance in a major.
The 2014 Evian Championship proved to be a breakthrough on the global stage. Kim opened with a 61, the lowest 18-hole score ever recorded in a women’s major, and went on to win the title. The victory announced her arrival to a worldwide audience and opened the door to membership on the LPGA Tour, which she accepted for the 2015 season.
Hyo Joo Kim Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
After turning professional in 2012, Hyo Joo Kim quickly established herself on the LPGA of Korea Tour. She won multiple times during her first professional seasons, and her consistent ball-striking helped her climb the Korean money list. By the end of 2014, she had been named the LPGA of Korea Tour’s leading money winner, a sign of her rapid development.
Her schedule in this period extended beyond Korea through invitations and amateur-style international events. The 2014 Evian Championship victory served as the bridge between her Korean success and her future on the LPGA Tour, giving her both major championship credentials and the confidence to compete globally.
LPGA Tour Breakthrough (2015–2019)
Kim joined the LPGA Tour in 2015 and wasted little time finding the winner’s circle. She won an LPGA event in her rookie season and added further titles in the years that followed. Her early Tour wins demonstrated a player who could score low, handle pressure, and contend in a variety of conditions.
She added a U.S. Women’s Open runner-up finish in 2018, reinforcing her status as a consistent major contender. By the end of the 2019 season, she had built a strong base of Tour victories and established herself as one of the leading Korean players on the global circuit.
Established Star (2020–2024)
In 2020, Hyo Joo Kim was once again the LPGA of Korea Tour’s leading money winner, reflecting her continued strength at home while she maintained a full LPGA Tour schedule abroad. Her game during this stretch was marked by accurate iron play and a steady putting stroke that produced several late-week runs.
She recorded a T3 at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship and a T4 at the 2023 Women’s British Open, showing that she could contend on a wide range of major venues. Her win count on the LPGA Tour grew steadily, and she entered 2025 with nine LPGA Tour victories, three Ladies European Tour wins, one LPGA of Japan Tour title, and 15 LPGA of Korea Tour titles, for a combined total of 28 professional wins.
Hyo Joo Kim 2025 Season Performance
The 2025 LPGA Tour season has produced another strong year for Hyo Joo Kim. She opened the major championship calendar with a T2 at the Chevron Championship, her best major result since her 2014 Evian win, signaling that her game remains at the highest level. The finish added valuable world-ranking points and confirmed her place among the Tour’s top competitors.
Outside the majors, Kim has continued to make cuts, post top finishes, and contend in the events that shape the season-long races. Her ball-striking numbers have remained among the most consistent on Tour, and her short game has shown the touch that has long been a strength of her game.
Looking ahead through the rest of 2025, Kim is positioned to remain in the mix for both regular LPGA Tour titles and additional major contention. With her combination of experience, form, and a record of performing in the biggest events, she enters the late-season stretch as one of the Korean players most likely to add to her career total of 28 professional wins.
Hyo Joo Kim Family
Personal Life
Hyo Joo Kim resides in South Korea, where she continues to manage her playing schedule between the LPGA of Korea Tour and the LPGA Tour. Her educational background includes studies at Korea University, an institution that has produced several prominent Korean golfers.
Public details about her immediate family are limited, and she has generally kept her personal life private. Her focus throughout her professional career has remained on competition and performance, with limited public commentary about relationships or family matters beyond what is tied to her golf career.