The Facts

Birthday: July 16, 1984
Rookie Year on LPGA: 2005
Birth Place: Seoul, South Korea
Best LPGA Finish: Win (2006 SBS Open)
Best LPGA Major Finish: T-10th (2006 Weetabix Women's British Open)
Best Score: 65 (2005, 2006)
Best Scoring Average for a year: 72.23 (2006)
Best Season money total: $408,699 (2006)
Best Season Money Position: 27th (2006)
Most Top Tens/Season: 4 (2006)
Height: 5' 4"
2008 LPGA Status: Exempt
Nicknames: None known
Sponsors: Hite Beer
How's her English?: Weak
Hobbies: Cooking
Road to the LPGA: Finished tied for 12th at 2004 Q-School to gain exempt status.

Capsule Bio

Much as Mi Na Lee swept the KLPGA awards in her rookie year of 2002, Joo Mi Kim had the same kind of year in her rookie season of 2003. She won Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, and led the Money List as well. And all at the tender age of 19, a year younger than Mi Na Lee was when she had her breakout season. Kim even outpointed Shi Hyun Ahn, who was also a KLPGA rookie in 2003 and who won the LPGA's 9 Bridges Classic (and who was also 19, coincidentally).

Joo Mi Kim stayed on the KLPGA tour in 2004, and had another great season. Although she was beaten for Player of the Year and on the money list by newcomer Bo Bae Song, she finished second in both categories, and had the low scoring average (70.49) on tour (Song was second). Kim did not do so well at the 2004 CJ 9 Bridges Classic, but she did fine at Q-School, finishing 12th and easily capturing an exempt card for the 2005 LPGA season.

Although Joo Mi did not have a fantastic 2005, she definitely had her moments. Perhaps her best tournament was the Sybase Classic, where she shot her career low 65 in the second round, and where she had a pretty good chance to win even on Sunday. She finished 5th there, and 4th later at the Safeway Classic. She easily maintained her exempt card for 2006 with a 50th place finish on the money list.

2006 started with a bang for Joo Mi. She won her first LPGA event at the first event of the year, the SBS Open. Not only that, but she beat Lorena Ochoa in a playoff to do it. She only had a few other notable performances in 2006 after that, but it was still an important breakthrough for her.

2007 was an OK season for Joo Mi, which included a top 15 at the US Women's Open, but it was somewhat of a step back for her. She finished 47th on the money list, well behind her 2006 accomplishments.

Galleries