Auston Kim Bio
Auston Kim is an American professional golfer on the LPGA Tour. Born on August 16, 2000, in Long Island, New York, she turned professional in 2022 after a standout college career at Vanderbilt University. In 2023, she won the Epson Tour Championship and finished third on the developmental tour’s money list, earning a full LPGA Tour card for the 2024 season. In her rookie LPGA season, she posted a tie for sixth at the LPGA Drive On Championship and a solo third at the Lotte Championship, securing her tour status for 2025.
Early Life and Background
Auston Kim was born on August 16, 2000, in Long Island, New York, to her parents, Piljo and Christopher Kim. In 2011, the family relocated to St. Augustine, Florida, where she grew up and finished high school. She attended Allen D. Nease High School and graduated in 2017.
Kim comes from a family with deep ties to competitive golf. Her older sister, August Kim, played collegiate golf at Purdue University, where she earned First Team All-American honors, and later competed professionally for five years on the Symetra Tour and the LPGA Tour. August has since returned to academia at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The sisters’ shared passion for the game helped shape Auston’s early path in the sport.
Path to Professional Golf
Kim enrolled at Vanderbilt University in 2018 and played for the Vanderbilt Commodores women’s golf team through 2022. As a freshman, she earned a place on the SEC All-Freshman Team, and she later received honorable mention All-American recognition. She was also named to the Annika Award Watch List, which honors the top female collegiate player in the United States.
Kim graduated from Vanderbilt in 2022 with a degree in political science and a concentration in American government. That same year, she turned professional and joined the Epson Tour, the official developmental circuit of the LPGA Tour.
Auston Kim Career
Epson Tour (2022–2023)
Kim began her professional career on the Epson Tour in 2022. During the 2023 season, she recorded ten top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result at the Island Resort Championship. Her consistent play positioned her among the top performers on the circuit.
Her breakout moment came late in 2023 when she won the Epson Tour Championship, the season-ending event. The victory clinched a high place on the money list, and she finished third in the final rankings. That result earned her a full LPGA Tour card for the 2024 season.
LPGA Tour Rookie Season (2024)
Kim made her LPGA Tour debut at the LPGA Drive On Championship, where she opened with steady play before firing a 64 in the third round. She finished the tournament tied for sixth, an impressive start to her rookie campaign. The result signaled that she could compete on the biggest stage in women’s golf.
Later in the season, she posted a solo third-place finish at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii, one of the strongest results by a first-year player that year. She concluded her rookie season ranked 66th on the money list and sixth in the Rookie of the Year race, comfortably retaining her full tour status for 2025.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kim’s 2023 Epson Tour Championship victory stands as her first and so far only professional title. Her 64 in the third round of the LPGA Drive On Championship and her solo third at the Lotte Championship remain the headline performances of her LPGA rookie season.
Auston Kim Career Wins
Auston Kim has recorded one verified professional victory, the 2023 Epson Tour Championship. She has yet to record a win on the LPGA Tour, although her top finishes in 2024 place her among the promising young players on the circuit.
Epson Tour Highlights
Kim’s lone Epson Tour title came at the 2023 Epson Tour Championship, the culminating event of the developmental season. She added ten top-10 finishes that year, including a runner-up at the Island Resort Championship. Her third-place finish in the final Epson Tour rankings earned her LPGA Tour membership for 2024.
Auston Kim Family
Family Background and Golf Lineage
Kim was raised by her mother, Piljo, and her father, Christopher, alongside her older sister, August Kim. August played college golf at Purdue University, where she was named a First Team All-American, and went on to play professionally for five years on the Symetra Tour and the LPGA Tour. She is now a student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Personal Life
Kim currently resides in St. Augustine, Florida. She is not publicly known to be married, and no children are reported in publicly available sources.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into the 2025 LPGA Tour season, Auston Kim holds full status after a steady rookie campaign. Her rookie-year finishes, including a tie for sixth at the LPGA Drive On Championship and a solo third at the Lotte Championship, suggest she can contend on a variety of course types. She will look to convert consistent play into her first LPGA victory.
Kim’s development path, from SEC All-Freshman honors to a top-three finish on the Epson Tour money list, indicates steady progress. With a full season of LPGA experience behind her, she is positioned to take another step forward in 2025.