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| Updated: February, 2024 |
MIN BYEOL KIM |
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The Facts |
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Birthday:
January 24, 2004 |
| Capsule Bio |
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Min Byeol Kim was a big amateur star on the national team; in her days there she got to know Youmin Hwang and Shin Sil Bang and became friends with them. She turned pro at the end of 2022 and entered KLPGA Qualifying School, whch she won. She immediately became one of the young rookies to watch in 2023. Though a long hitter, Min Byeol is primarily known for her steadiness when facing adversity. This helped her a lot once she reached the KLPGA. She notched top tens in her first three events, immediately throwing down the gauntlet against her two biggest rookie rivals, Bang and Hwang. Their battles became must-see TV among golf fans throughout the year. Bang drew first blood by getting a win early in the year while Hwang struggled. After mostly strong finishes but no wins, Min Byeol made a serious run at the Korea Women's Open title in June. On the final hole in regulation, she made a thrilling fifteen foot birdie to join a threeway playoff for the title, the biggest on the KLPGA tour. In the first playoff hole, Kim had a birdie to win but just missed it. On the second playoff hole, Da Som Ma hit into trouble and was done. Ji Won Hong, a virtual unknown, hit a weak drive, but Kim hit a perfect long drive down the middle. But Kim's drive ended up in a divot, while Hong managed a near-miraculous second shot to four feet. Kim's approach went twenty feet past and she did not make the birdie. Hong did and the title was hers. Kim just missed out on becoming the second youngest (after Jiyai Shin) to ever claim the title. A month later, the three rookie stars were all in contention at the Dayouwinia and the atmosphere was electrifying. Kim and Hwang were tied for the lead after two rounds with Bang two back. Bang played well but could not catch the other two. It came down to the last hole, with first Hwang, then Kim, making clutch birdies to force a playoff. At stake was the first win for both young stars. Once again, though, Kim hit a perfect drive and wound up in a divot. She hit her approach long over the green, Hwang nailed hers to four feet, and Hwang won the great battle. The final round was the highest rated round of golf in Korea all year, with the playoff the highest rated part of the round. After some struggles including two missed cuts, Kim bounced back with a third place at the Doosan We've Championship. She later notched a tie for second at the KB Star Championship, another Major. She retook the lead in the Rookie of the Year race and ended up beating Hwang and Bang, in the process shooting the second highest point total in the history of the rookie race; only Yewon Lee the previous year had gone higher. She was the only one of the superstar rookies who didn't win, but she did produce the most top tens (12), the most top threes (three runner ups and 2 thirds), the most Player of the Year points (516, 3rd place) and the highest money total (745 million won, 6th on the money list). She rose to the top 50 in the world rankings, best among the three young stars. She totally deserved her Rookie of the Year award, win or no. At the end of the year, Kim and Hwang teamed to play the Simone Cup, an event that pits teams of two players from different Asian and Pcific Rim countries against one another for team and individual honors. Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul won the individual award and led her team to gold, but the Koreans notched several great results too. Kim and Hwang teamed for a tie for second in the team event, while Kim finished solo third in the individual results while Hwang finished tied for 8th. In early 2024, Kim was invited to play at the Aramco event in Saudi Arabia. It was the first time she had played outside of East Asia/Korea in her pro career. She managed a solid tie for 23rd. She is aiming to get her first pro win as soon as she can in 2024; with her massive talent, it seems like a certainty she will make it happen. |