Whee Kim Bio
Kim Meen-whee, widely known as Whee Kim, is a South Korean professional golfer born on 22 February 1992. He first drew international attention as an amateur, capturing gold medals in both the individual and team events at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, an achievement that exempted him from mandatory military service in South Korea. After turning professional in 2010, Kim built his career across the Korean Tour, the OneAsia Tour, the Web.com Tour, and the PGA Tour, recording two professional victories and several high-profile runner-up finishes. He has spent most of his playing days on circuits in Asia and the United States, and continues to compete at a high level heading into 2025.
Early Life and Background
Kim Meen-whee was born in South Korea on 22 February 1992. He grew up in a country with a deep and celebrated tradition of golf, and he took up the sport at a young age, eventually rising through the South Korean amateur ranks with a focus on tournament play. His early promise was enough to place him on the national stage as a teenager, representing his country at one of Asia’s most important multi-sport competitions.
At the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, Kim captured the individual men’s gold medal and helped the South Korean team win gold in the team event. The double victory at the Asian Games made him a national sporting figure and, as is customary in South Korea, granted him an exemption from mandatory military service. The success also marked the end of his amateur career, as he chose to turn professional shortly after the Games.
Path to Professional Golf
Kim Meen-whee made the transition to the professional ranks in 2010, the same year as his Asian Games triumph. He initially built his game on the Korean Tour, where he picked up valuable experience against seasoned competitors in regional events. In 2011, he branched out to the OneAsia Tour, a circuit that brings together players from across the Asia-Pacific region, and he finished eighth on the OneAsia Tour’s Order of Merit that season, an early sign of his consistency.
His first professional victory came at the 2012 Shinhan Donghae Open on the Korean Tour, a result that earned him the Korean Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2012. Later that year, Kim traveled to the United States to compete in the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. He led the field after both the second and third rounds, but a closing stretch saw him finish 43rd overall, which granted him playing status on the Web.com Tour, the developmental circuit for the PGA Tour.
Whee Kim Career
Early Career (2010-2012)
Kim Meen-whee’s first two years as a professional were spent primarily on home soil, competing on the Korean Tour and the OneAsia Tour. He picked up his first title at the 2012 Shinhan Donghae Open, a win that announced his arrival as one of the rising talents in South Korean golf. That same year, he was named the Korean Tour Rookie of the Year, an award that reflected both his quick adaptation to professional play and his capacity to win against experienced fields.
At the end of 2012, Kim tested himself against the global pathway to the PGA Tour, advancing to the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. Although he did not secure a PGA Tour card, his performance was strong enough to earn Web.com Tour status, setting the stage for a move to the United States.
Web.com Tour Years (2013-2014)
From 2013 through 2014, Kim Meen-whee played on the Web.com Tour, the principal developmental tour for the PGA Tour. He worked to adjust his game to the varied conditions and travel demands of the United States-based schedule. His most notable result during this stretch came at the 2013 Mexico Championship, where he finished tied for second place, a strong performance that underlined his ability to contend on American soil.
These two seasons served as a critical development period, giving Kim experience on faster greens, longer course layouts, and the week-to-week grind of a tour that travels across multiple states and countries.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2015-Present)
Kim Meen-whee has played predominantly on the PGA Tour since 2015, establishing himself as a consistent presence in U.S.-based fields. In 2017, he posted two runner-up finishes that brought him significant attention. He finished second at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and then lost in a playoff at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, an early-season event on the 2018 PGA Tour schedule, leaving him with a PGA Tour playoff record of 0-1.
Alongside his PGA Tour appearances, Kim has continued to compete in select events in Asia. He was the runner-up at the 2015 Korea Open, and in 2018 he captured his second Korean Tour title at the Descente Korea Munsingwear Matchplay. He reached a career-high world ranking of 98 in July 2018, a marker of his strongest period on tour.
Asian Tour and Korn Ferry Tour Era
As of the most recent listings, Kim Meen-whee is associated with the Asian Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, the latter being the successor to the Web.com Tour. He previously held membership on the PGA Tour, Korean Tour, and OneAsia Tour. His career professional wins total stands at two, both earned on the Korean Tour.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kim’s signature results include his 2010 Asian Games double gold, his 2012 Shinhan Donghae Open victory, his 2013 Mexico Championship runner-up finish on the Web.com Tour, and his back-to-back runner-up results on the PGA Tour in 2017 and the 2017-18 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open playoff loss. He has also made one major championship appearance, finishing tied for 50th at the 2017 U.S. Open, and he missed the cut at the 2018 PGA Championship.
Whee Kim Career Wins
Whee Kim has recorded two professional victories during his career, both of which have come on the Korean Tour. He is yet to win on the PGA Tour, the Web.com Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, or the OneAsia Tour, although he has come close with multiple runner-up finishes at the highest level.
Korean Tour Highlights
Kim Meen-whee’s first Korean Tour win came at the 2012 Shinhan Donghae Open, the same season in which he was named the Korean Tour Rookie of the Year. He added a second Korean Tour title in 2018 with a victory at the Descense Korea Munsingwear Matchplay, the event in which he also won the only Korean Tour playoff he has contested, improving his Korean Tour playoff record to 1-0.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his Korean Tour titles, Kim’s most notable performances include his eighth-place finish on the 2011 OneAsia Tour Order of Merit, his tie for second at the 2013 Web.com Tour Mexico Championship, his runner-up at the 2015 Korea Open, and his two PGA Tour runner-up finishes in 2017. He represented South Korea at the 2010 Asian Games as an amateur, winning two gold medals.
Whee Kim Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
There is limited public information available about Whee Kim’s parents, siblings, or extended family. His family background in golf, if any, has not been widely documented in verified sources.
Personal Life
Kim Meen-whee is known by the shorter name Whee Kim in many international golf circles. Details about his marital status, spouse, or children have not been publicly confirmed in verified sources.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Whee Kim is listed on both the Asian Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, suggesting a split schedule that combines opportunities in Asia with attempts to regain PGA Tour status through the Korn Ferry Tour pathway. With two professional wins already to his name and a career-high world ranking of 98 achieved in 2018, Kim enters the year with the experience of a veteran but with clear motivation to add a third victory and re-establish himself in the game’s top tier.
His best major championship result remains a tie for 50th at the 2017 U.S. Open, and breaking through with a strong showing in one of the four majors remains a realistic seasonal goal. Continued strong play on the Asian Tour, where he already has two wins, and consistent contention on the Korn Ferry Tour would represent a successful 2025 campaign.
Given his history of close calls on the PGA Tour, including a playoff loss at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Kim has demonstrated the ability to compete on the biggest stages. The 2025 season offers him another chance to convert that experience into a breakthrough win.