Kim Sei-young
| Kim Sei-young | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Kim in 2017 | |||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | 21 January 1993 Seoul, South Korea | ||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | ||||||||
| Sporting nationality |  South Korea | ||||||||
| Career | |||||||||
| College | Korea University[1] | ||||||||
| Turned professional | 2010 | ||||||||
| Current tours | LPGA of Korea Tour LPGA Tour | ||||||||
| Professional wins | 18 | ||||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||||
| LPGA Tour | 13 | ||||||||
| LPGA of Korea Tour | 5 | ||||||||
| Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 1) | |||||||||
| Chevron Championship | T3: 2021 | ||||||||
| Women's PGA C'ship | Won: 2020 | ||||||||
| U.S. Women's Open | 5th: 2026 | ||||||||
| Women's British Open | T4: 2018 | ||||||||
| Evian Championship | T2: 2018 | ||||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Kim Sei-young | |
| Hangul | 김세영 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 金世煐 [2] |
| RR | Gim Seyeong |
| MR | Kim Seyŏng |
Kim Sei-young (born 21 January 1993), also known as Sei Young Kim, is a South Korean professional golfer. Kim plays on the LPGA of Korea Tour and the LPGA Tour. She has won five times on the LPGA of Korea Tour and thirteen times on the LPGA Tour, including one major—the 2020 Women's PGA Championship.
Career
[edit]In 2015, she won the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic (her first victory on the LPGA Tour),[3] the Lotte Championship, in which she made a 154-yard eagle in a playoff to claim the win,[4] and the Blue Bay LPGA, her third victory of the year.[5] In 2016, she won the JTBC Founders Cup, her 10-under-par final round helped her match the lowest overall score in the tournament's history of 27-under-par set by Annika Sorenstam in 2001.[6] Later that year, Kim also won the Meijer LPGA Classic, after defeating Carlota Ciganda in a playoff.[7] Her win at the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic set the record for the lowest 72-hole score (257) and the lowest to-par score (−31).[8] She won the 2019 CME Group Tour Championship by making a birdie on the final hole to defeat Charley Hull by one stroke. Her success made her the fourth Korean golfer to win ten events on the LPGA Tour, and she earned record prize money of $1.5m.[9]
Kim won her first major, the 2020 Women's PGA Championship, by five strokes from Inbee Park. She carded an all-time record low score of 266 for the event.[10] She was also named the 2020 LPGA Player of the Year.[11] She won the BMW Ladies Championship in 2025, her first LPGA Tour title for five years.[12]
Professional wins (18)
[edit]LPGA Tour wins (13)
[edit]| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (1) |
| Other LPGA Tour (12) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 Feb 2015 | Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic | 70-68-72-68=278 | −14 | Playoff |  Ariya Jutanugarn Yoo Sun-young |
| 2 | 18 Apr 2015 | LPGA Lotte Championship | 67-67-70-73=277 | −11 | Playoff | Inbee Park |
| 3 | 1 Nov 2015 | Blue Bay LPGA | 70-72-74-70=286 | −2 | 1 stroke |  Kim Kaufman Candie Kung Stacy Lewis |
| 4 | 20 Mar 2016 | JTBC Founders Cup | 63-66-70-62=261 | −27 | 5 strokes |  Lydia Ko |
| 5 | 19 Jun 2016 | Meijer LPGA Classic | 65-69-65-68=267 | −17 | Playoff |  Carlota Ciganda |
| 6 | 7 May 2017 | Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play | 1 up | Ariya Jutanugarn | ||
| 7 | 8 Jul 2018 | Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic | 63-65-64-65=257 | −31 | 9 strokes | Carlota Ciganda |
| 8 | 5 May 2019 | LPGA Mediheal Championship | 72-66-68-75=281 | −7 | Playoff |  Bronte Law Lee Jeong-eun |
| 9 | 14 Jul 2019 | Marathon Classic | 67-64-66-65=262 | −22 | 2 strokes | Lexi Thompson |
| 10 | 24 Nov 2019 | CME Group Tour Championship | 65-67-68-70=270 | −18 | 1 stroke | Charley Hull |
| 11 | 11 Oct 2020 | KPMG Women's PGA Championship | 71-65-67-63=266 | −14 | 5 strokes | Inbee Park |
| 12 | 22 Nov 2020 | Pelican Women's Championship | 67-65-64-70=266 | −14 | 3 strokes | Ally McDonald |
| 13 | 19 Oct 2025 | BMW Ladies Championship | 62-66-69-67=264 | –24 | 4 strokes |  Nasa Hataoka |
LPGA Tour playoff record (4–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015 | Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic | Ariya Jutanugarn Yoo Sun-young |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2015 | LPGA Lotte Championship | Inbee Park |
Won with eagle on first extra hole |
| 3 | 2016 | Meijer LPGA Classic | Carlota Ciganda |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2019 | LPGA Mediheal Championship | Bronte Law Lee Jeong-eun |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 5 | 2021 | Pelican Women's Championship | Lydia Ko Nelly Korda Lexi Thompson |
Korda won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 6 | 2026 | JM Eagle LA Championship |  Hannah Green Im Jin-hee |
Green won with birdie on first extra hole |
LPGA of Korea Tour wins (5)
[edit]| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 Apr 2013 | Lotte Mart Women's Open | 78-70-71-68=287 | −1 | 2 strokes | Jang Su-yeon Lee Jeong-eun Jang Ha-na |
| 2 | 8 Sep 2013 | Hanwha Finance Classic | 71-72-72-68=283 | −5 | Playoff | Ryu So-yeon |
| 3 | 15 Sep 2013 | MetLife-Hankyung KLPGA Championship | 69-69-71-70=279 | −9 | 1 stroke | An Song-yi Chun In-gee |
| 4 | 18 May 2014 | Woori Investment & Securities Ladies Championship | 64-73-69=206 | -10 | Playoff | Heo Yoon-kyung |
| 5 | 24 Aug 2014 | MBN Ladies Open with ONOFF | 65-71-67=203 | −13 | 2 strokes | Kang Ye-rin |
Major championships
[edit]Wins (1)
[edit]| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Women's PGA Championship | 2 shot lead | −14 (71-65-67-63=266) | 5 strokes | Inbee Park |
Results timeline
[edit]Results not in chronological order.
| Tournament | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | T61 | T4 | CUT | T27 | T40 | CUT | T18 | T3 | T17 | T52 | T30 | T24 | CUT |
| U.S. Women's Open | T46 | T42 | T26 | T8 | T27 | T16 | T20 | T16 | 14 | T13 | WD | CUT | 5 |
| Women's PGA Championship | 2 | 11 | T4 | T25 | 20 | 1 | T12 | T5 | CUT | CUT | T52 | T8 | |
| The Evian Championship | T11 | 5 | T6 | T2 | T17 | NT | T38 | T8 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T22 | |
| Women's British Open | CUT | T50 | T16 | T4 | T24 | T13 | 18 | CUT | T37 | T13 | T29 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
NT = no tournament
T = tied
Summary
[edit]| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 10 |
| U.S. Women's Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 11 |
| Women's PGA Championship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 10 |
| The Evian Championship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 8 |
| Women's British Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 9 |
| Totals | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 34 | 60 | 48 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 18 (2019 U.S. Open – 2023 Chevron)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (five times)
LPGA Tour career summary
[edit]| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made * | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best finish | Earnings ($) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | T3 | 100,479 | n/a | 69.33 | n/a |
| 2014 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T42 | n/a | n/a | 73.62 | n/a |
| 2015 | 27 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1,820,056 | 4 | 70.33 | 8 |
| 2016 | 25 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1,445,937 | 6 | 70.25 | 8 |
| 2017 | 25 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1,278,166 | 10 | 69.91 | 11 |
| 2018 | 27 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1,369,418 | 7 | 70.27 | 15 |
| 2019 | 25 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 2,753,099 | 2 | 69.89 | 8 |
| 2020 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1,416,993 | 2 | 68.69 | 1 |
| 2021 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | T2 | 915,658 | 17 | 69.94 | 12 |
| 2022 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | T5 | 1,083,246 | 22 | 70.19 | 18 |
| 2023 | 22 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | T3 | 654,240 | 42 | 71.03 | 47 |
| 2024 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | T2 | 1,103,986 | 29 | 70.44 | 11 |
| 2025 | 21 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1,651,769 | 18 | 70.05 | 10 |
| Totals^ | 245 (2015) | 211 (2015) | 13 | 10 | 14 | 80 | 1 | 15,492,568 | 11 |
^ Official as of 2025 season[13][14][15]
* Includes matchplay and other tournaments without a cut.
World rank
[edit]Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.
| Year | World ranking | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 7 | [16] |
| 2016 | 6 | [17] |
| 2017 | 11 | [18] |
| 2018 | 12 | [19] |
| 2019 | 5 | [20] |
| 2020 | 2 | [21] |
| 2021 | 4 | [22] |
| 2022 | 21 | [23] |
| 2023 | 57 | [24] |
| 2024 | 38 | [25] |
| 2025 | 10 | [26] |
Team appearances
[edit]Professional
- The Queens (representing Korea): 2015
- International Crown (representing South Korea): 2016
References
[edit]- ↑ 김효주·이정민·김세영·전인지·김민선5, KLPGA 고려대 돌풍 확산, Choice News, 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Kim Sei Young". Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
- ↑ "Sei Young Kim wins 1st LPGA title". ESPN. Associated Press. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Sei Young Kim holes out from 154 yards to win Lotte Championship". ESPN. Associated Press. 19 April 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Rookie Sei Young Kim wins Blue Bay LPGA for season's third victory". ESPN. Associated Press. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ Charles, Andy (21 March 2016). "Sei Young Kim storms to record-equalling win in Founders Cup". Sky Sports. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Kim Sei-Young edges Meijer Classic after play-off on LPGA Tour". Sky Sports. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Sei Young Kim wins Thornberry Creek Classic in historic fashion". ESPN. Associated Press. July 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Kim Sei-young takes record purse at finale". Korea JoongAng Daily. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Kim Sei-young claims first major at Women's PGA Championship". BBC Sport. 11 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Sei Young Kim Wins Rolex Player of the Year". LPGA. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Sei Young Kim ends 5-year LPGA drought, wins South Korea event". ESPN. Associated Press. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
- ↑ "Sei-Young Kim (Stats)". LPGA. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ "Sei-Young Kim (Results)". LPGA. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ "Career Money". LPGA. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2015.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 26 December 2016.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 25 December 2017.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2019.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2020.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 27 December 2021.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 26 December 2022.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 25 December 2023.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2024.
- ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 29 December 2025.
External links
[edit]- Kim Sei-young at the LPGA Tour official site
- Kim Sei-young at the Women's World Golf Rankings official site
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- South Korean female golfers
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- Olympic golfers for South Korea
- Golfers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Golfers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Korea University alumni
- Golfers from Seoul
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- Living people
- 21st-century South Korean sportswomen
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