Ladies of the Links Featured Player: Kim Kaufman
Sep 10th 2020
Kim Kaufman has earned over $1.5 million in her golf career since turning professional in 2013.
Starting the game at the age of four, Kaufman credits her father as the primary influence on her career. She made an impression at the 2009 US Girls Junior Championship, advancing to the quarterfinals. Playing collegiately at Texas Tech University, Kaufman was a two-time All-American and 2012 Fall College Player of the Year. In addition, she advanced to the semifinals at the 2012 U.S Women’s Public Links Championship.
Growing up in South Dakota, Kauffman was a three-time state women’s amateur champion, participated in three USGA Women’s Amateurs, won the NCAA Elite 89 Award and was NCAA All-Regional team. To top off her amateur career, Kaufman was Texas Tech Female Athlete of the Year and Women’s Golf Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2013.
Following her collegiate career, Kaufman immediately turned professional in June 2013 and recorded her first win on the Symetra Tour at the Island Resort Championship. In ten events entered, Kaufman made all ten cuts with four top-10 finishes and an impressed 12th on the season money list. Kaufman topped her season by finishing 23rd at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn status for the LPGA Tour in 2014.
Kaufman recorded a career-low 65 at the Yokohama Tired LPGA Classic in 2014 and ended the season with three top-ten finishes and over $275,000, good enough for 58th on the LPGA Tour money list. Kaufman made 21 cuts in 28 tournaments in 2015 and improved to 45th on the money list with nearly $373,000 in earnings.
Playing nearly every week in 2016, Kaufman led the LPGA Tour with 30 starts. Her three top-ten finishes helped her earn over $366,000 to surpass the $1 million mark in career earnings. Continuing to play a full schedule in 2017, Kaufman made 20 cuts in 29 events with two top-ten finishes. Her best was a sixth-place finish at the Marathon Classic, and accumulated over $326,000 in earnings.
Kaufman clearly struggled on the LPGA Tour in 2018 and 2019, making only 17 cuts in 43 events. After no top-ten finishes in 2018, Kaufman earned LPGA Tour status for 2019 after finishing 11th at the LPGA Q-Series. Her best effort in 2019 was a tie for sixth at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
On the LPGA Tour this season, Kaufman made three cuts in five tournaments. She had more success on the Symetra Tour, recording two top-ten finishes in four events.
After missing the cut at the NW Arkansas Championship, Kaufman teed it up at the Four Winds Invitational September 4. Her play vaulted her into the winner’s circle and in for first place on the Symetra Tour money list for the season.
