Kim Kaufman

Kim Kaufman
Personal information
Born (1991-08-16) August 16, 1991 (age 33)
Huron, South Dakota, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceFort Worth, Texas, U.S.
SpouseJohan Wolkesson
Career
CollegeTexas Tech University
Turned professional2013
Current tour(s)Symetra Tour (joined 2013)
Former tour(s)LPGA Tour (joined 2014)
Professional wins3
Number of wins by tour
Epson Tour3
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron ChampionshipT66: 2018
Women's PGA C'shipT29: 2017
U.S. Women's OpenT32: 2016
Women's British OpenCUT: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Evian ChampionshipT29: 2015
Achievements and awards
Golfweek Player of the Fall2012
Texas Tech Female Athlete of the Year2013

Kim Kaufman (born August 16, 1991) is an American professional golfer and LPGA Tour player. She was runner-up at the 2015 Blue Bay LPGA.[1]

Early life, amateur and college career

Kaufman was born in Huron, South Dakota, and grew up in Clark, South Dakota, where she was a six-time South Dakota Golf Association Junior Champion, with a career-low round of 66. She was South Dakota state champion four times at Clark High School, and was an all-state selection all four years. She qualified three times for the U.S. Girls' Junior and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2009. She also played in the U.S. Women's Amateur three times and in two U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links championships.[2]

Kaufman attended Texas Tech University between 2009 and 2013. In the fall of 2012, she ranked as the No. 1 golfer in the country according to Golfweek, and was named the Golfweek Player of the Fall.[2]

Professional career

Kaufman turned professional and joined the Symetra Tour in 2013. She made 10 cuts in 10 starts and won the Island Resort Championship after a playoff with Mitsuki Katahira of Japan.[3]

She finished tied for 23rd at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn membership for the 2014 LPGA Tour. In her rookie season, she was tied for 4th at the North Texas LPGA Shootout and tied for 5th at the Canadian Pacific Women's Open, and finished 58th on the money list. In 2015, she was runner-up at the Blue Bay LPGA and finished 45th on the money list.[1]

In 2016, Kaufman crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings after her T7 finish at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia[1] and rose to a high of 67th in the Women's World Golf Rankings.[4]

After finishing 53rd on the money list in 2016 and 58th in 2017, her career took a hit when she was diagnosed with mononucleosis in Japan and fell down a flight of stairs and injured her wrist while recovering.[5] She finished 123rd in 2018 and to keep her card for the 2019 season had to attend the inaugural LPGA Q-Series, where she tied for 11th.[1]

In 2020, Kaufman found herself back on the Symetra Tour, where she won the Four Winds Invitational and finished third on the money list.[6][7]

Personal life

Kaufman is married to Sweden-born pro golfer Johan Wolkesson, who has caddied for her, including at the 2020 U.S. Women's Open.[8][9]

Amateur wins

  • 2012 Landfall Tradition

Source:[2]

Professional wins (3)

Symetra Tour wins (3)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 Jun 30, 2013 Island Resort Championship −3 (71-74-68=213) Playoff Japan Mitsuki Katahira
2 Mar 2, 2014 Volvik Championship −7 (71-66=137)[a] 4 strokes United States Jennie Lee
3 Sep 6, 2020 Four Winds Invitational −11 (67-69-69=205) 1 stroke Australia Robyn Choi
  1. ^ Tournament reduced to 36 holes due to adverse weather conditions

Symetra Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 2013 Island Resort Championship Japan Mitsuki Katahira Won with par on first extra hole

Results in LPGA majors

Results not in chronological order.

Tournament 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
ANA Inspiration CUT CUT CUT T66 CUT
U.S. Women's Open T35 T32 CUT CUT CUT CUT T58
Women's PGA Championship CUT CUT CUT T29 CUT CUT CUT
The Evian Championship CUT T29 CUT CUT NT
Women's British Open CUT CUT CUT CUT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Kim Kaufman Bio". LPGA Tour. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Women's Golf Roster: Kim Kaufman". Texas Tech University. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  3. ^ "Kim Kaufman Bio". Epson Tour. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  4. ^ "Kim Kaufman Player Profile". Women's World Golf Rankings. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "Kim Kaufman had mono, fell going down stairs before the CME Group Tour Championship, now tied for lead". Golf Digest. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  6. ^ "Kim Kaufman cashes in with Four Winds Invitational victory on Symetra Tour". Golfweek. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kaufman Earns LPGA Membership, Exemption Into U.S. Open". Texas Tech. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  8. ^ "Kaufman Remains at the Top". Epson Tour. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  9. ^ "2020 U.S. Women's Open Caddie Report" (PDF). USGA. Retrieved April 14, 2022.