Updated: February, 2024

KYEONG BAE

The Facts

Birthday: June 13, 1985
Rookie Year on LPGA: 2006
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Best LPGA Finish: T-2nd (2006 Sybase Classic)
Best LPGA Major Finish: 4th (2009 McDonald's LPGA Championship)
Rookie of the year finish: 7th
Best score: 64 (several times)
Best Scoring Average for a year: 72.33 (2006)
Best Season money total: $324,460 (2009)
Best Season Money Position: 41st (2007, 2009)
Most Top Tens/Season: 3 (2006, 2007)
Height: 5' 7"
Relatives: Husband
2024 LPGA Status: None, on KLPGA tour
Nicknames: KB
Sponsors: Nefs
How's her English?: Almost fluent
Hobbies: Reading, Music, Shopping
Road to the LPGA: Qualified for 2006 LPGA Tour by finishing third on Futures Tour Money list in 2005

Capsule Bio

From an early age, Kyeong Bae knew she wanted to pursue some sort of sport. And while still in her teens, she made quite an impression on the world of golf, joining the tour at the tender age of 15 in 2001. She was one of the youngest to ever play on the KLPGA full time.

Indeed, like Se Ri Pak and Bo Bae Song, KB (as she is known) managed to win a KLPGA Major, the KLPGA Championship, while still a teenager. She was just 16 when she claimed that title in October of 2001. She quickly acquired a sponsor due to her great promise. In fact, she would win the event twice, claiming the title again in 2005.

After finishing 6th on the 2003 KLPGA money list, she moved to the States in 2004 to try her luck on the Futures Tour. She had a pretty good season, notching 7 top tens, finishing in the money all but one time, and nearly winning a tournament, finishing second. She ended up 8th on the money list that year, but was not able to acquire an automatic LPGA tour card. Nor was she able to get a card at Q-School, so she returned to the Futures Tour in 2005 for another try.

Galleries
2007 Photos
2006 Photos
Photos
Seoul Sisters Pix

In 2005 she finally notched her first win, after outlasting two other players in a playoff. This allowed her to take over the lead on the money list. She wound up finishing 3rd on the Futures Tour money list to earn her exempt card for 2006 on the LPGA tour.

As an encore, she then played the rest of the KLPGA season, and captured their money list title despite only playing 7 of the 11 possible tournaments. Included in this string was a win at the Shinsegae event, beating several top players including Young Kim.

In her rookie season on the LPGA, she was not as consistent as she had been on the Futures Tour. However, she still managed to remain in the top 50 on the money list most of the year, with a second place finish at the Sybase Classic being her best finish of the season. She easily retained her exempt tour card.

She continued to play well in 2007, even making her first ever top ten at a Major when she finished tied for 10th at the US Women's Open. She has yet to hit her full stride on the big tour, but is getting closer.

2008, alas, was a big step back for KB. She had only one top ten all year, and had missed numerous cuts during the season. She bounced back in 2009, shooting her career best score, a 64, and finishing in the top 20 in all three Majors she played.

She had no top tens in 2010, and missed the cut in all three Majors she played. However, she still finished 50th on the money list, more than good enough to maintain full status on tour. In 2011, she finished 66th on the money list with one top ten, maintaining her top status for 2012.

KB did play a few tournaments on the LPGA tour in 2012, including the Kraft Nabisco. She had a couple of top twenties late in the year, but did not maintain status on tour. Bae focused mostly on playing on the KLPGA tour. She had four top tens there in 2012, including a second place finish at the Lotte Cantata Women's Open. She finished 23rd on the tour money list with about 145 million won earned.

Bae had a mediocre 2013 season on the KLPGA. She finished 46th on the money list, with three top tens during the year. But her year ended on a happy note: in December she got married!

Bae finished 66th on the 2014 KLPGA money list with about 52 million won earned. Her best finish was a 17th place. After that season, she announced her retirement from golf. Starting in 2015, she became a commentator and interviewer for KLPGA golf broadcasts.

But Bae was restless and in 2020 decided that she wanted to take another shot at playing on the KLPGA. She trained hard and amazingly earned a full tour card for 2021. So in 2021, Bae returned to action for the first time in more than five years. At 35, she is now one of the oldest players on tour, but was determined to make it back.

Bae played a full season in 2021, but only made ~39 million won, which left her 95th on the money list. Her best finish was a 27th place. She lost her card, although she did play a limited schedule in 2022. She played in three events, making two cuts, her best finish a 55th. She played one event in 2023, the E1 Charity Open, where she finished tied for 56th.
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