Gina Kim Bounces Back With Three Wins and Reclaims Her LPGA Tour Card

As 2025 officially comes to a close, it is time to sit back, relax and take a stroll down memory lane at some of the best and brightest moments of the 45th season on the Epson Tour.

This year, over 300 athletes competed in 20 events across 14 states for their chance to earn or regain status on the LPGA Tour during the 2026 season. And let me tell you, one of the absolute highlights of the year was 25-year-old Gina Kim claiming three victories through the first 12 tournaments. 🔥

Kim headed into the 2025 season searching for a reclamation of the confident golf game she knew she always had. In 2024, the North Carolinian struggled on the LPGA Tour, only making six cuts in 18 events, finishing 169th in the Race to the CME Globe and losing her status for the next year.

The Duke University graduate was frustrated, but eager to compete on the Road to the LPGA in 2025, with one important person by her side: her mother, Sangsuk. 💜

And the dynamic duo achieved exactly what they were looking for, if not more, come October: three wins, seven top 10s and an LPGA Tour card. Talk about a comeback story!

The 2022 Epson Tour graduate began her redemption story quickly, hoisting her first trophy of the year at the second event: the IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, Florida. Kim carded rounds of 65, 69 and 68 for a total of 11-under, giving her a one-shot victory over her fellow Epson Tour graduate Minji Kang.

"I probably wanted to throw up at least three times coming down the last five holes," Kim said after capturing her first professional title since 2022. "But my mom was obviously really supportive, and she told me, 'You are doing your best. That is all we can ask for, and let us just stick to the game plan, and it should work itself out.' So, I am thankful for my mom and my support team and everyone who has helped me get this far."

Three events later, the 2021 ACC Championship winner and former Duke University Blue Devil demonstrated her dominance yet again at the Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane, Utah. This win saw Kim become the first two-time winner of the season, as she won by one shot over Carla Tejedo Mulet and Melanie Green, who would also go on to finish 2025 inside the top 15 of the Race for the Card. 👏

"Gosh, it feels amazing," Kim said after crossing the 1000-point mark in the Race for the Card with her Utah win. "It is nice to know that hard work is paying off. And obviously, I could not have done it without my team back at home. I do not think it is going to change anything that I do. I am still going to try to get better every day, put my best foot forward, give it 100 percent. If we can get another win out of this season, that would be great."

Heading into the Northeast stretch, Kim was poised for another strong finish at the Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship presented by Munich Re. She fired an opening round of 8-under 64 and then led the tournament wire-to-wire to become the only player of the 2025 Epson Tour season to win three events. 🙌

Soon after her triumph in Hartford, Kim officially clinched her spot in the top 15 of the Race for the Card, ultimately finishing No. 3 in the rankings at the conclusion of the season and regaining her LPGA Tour playing credentials for the 2026 season with Category 9 status.

"I am pretty relieved. Obviously, that was my main goal this year, and it feels really nice to know that I was able to achieve it relatively early," Kim said after clinching her LPGA Tour card in August. "I still remember back in 2022, I had to go up until the last event to know whether I got my card or not, so this definitely feels a lot more satisfying."

With the redemption season complete, Kim finds herself heading back to the biggest stage in women's golf in 2026 with a newfound confidence in her game. ⭐

Proving three separate times this season on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA that she has what it takes to win, it would not be a surprise if Kim stands in the winner's circle once again in 2026, this time on the LPGA Tour. We are all rooting for you, Gina! 💪