After making just 13 cuts in 30 events over the past two years, Kim has turned the corner in a major way during the 2011 LPGA campaign. And now, the rising American star is poised to claim her first Tour victory this weekend at the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill., after a stellar opening 36 holes to the tournament.
Kim came out hot during Thursday's opening round, firing a career-best 8-under-64, which she followed up with a tidy 5-under 67 on Friday en route to a two-stroke lead entering weekend play. Not too shabby for a player who has never made a cut at this event.
This is unfamiliar territory for Kim, marking the first time she's held a lead after 36 holes in an LPGA event since turning professional in March 2007.
Obviously, Kim's sudden rise on the Tour has shocked many inside and outside the ropes. But for myself, this was a long time coming and something I expected sooner than this point.
I've been following Kim since the 2008 season when she racked up three wins on the Futures Tour and felt she'd make an immediate impact on the LPGA Tour sometime toward the end of the 2009 season-start of the 2010 campaign.
However, that never happened. Cuts were missed, opportunities were squandered and Kim was suddenly lost among the masses trying to find herself - and her game - going into this year's season.
“I wasn’t necessarily working that hard the last two years,” Kim told The Vancouver Sun following Friday's round. “I was kind of going through some personal issues, so wasn’t really into it. But this off-season I practiced really hard, worked hard, and I think I’m getting all the results now.”
That she is.
Kim already has three top-10s in six events this year, including last week's share of eighth place in the ShopRite LPGA Classic. And just as impressive, Kim has yet to miss a cut this year and has earned more than $142,000.
After watching her season-opening display in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, where she posted scores of 69-67-72 on her way to a sixth-place finish, it was easy to see this wasn't the same Kim we'd watched the past two seasons.
When she followed that up with a share of seventh place in the Kia Classic, I knew she was going to be a major contender this season.
What's great about Kim is she doesn't rely on one aspect of her game to pull her through on the course. Instead, she's a true model of consistency. Kim knows how to make her way around the course without finding any nightmarish trouble and, most importantly, knows how to score and capitalize on opportunities when they present themselves.
This week, Kim has been brilliant off the tee, hitting 25 of 28 fairways and 31 of 36 greens in regulation. But perhaps her most impressive statistic has been created with her putter. She's had just 53 putts through the first 36 holes of play.
"Honestly, in the past I just didn't practice in my offseason. I would just hang out with my friends, and I think I did a little too much of that," Kim told The Assocuated Press. "This offseason, I cut out a lot of time for golf. I spent a lot of time on the golf course preparing myself mentally with my new coach."
I predicted one of two players would win last week's LPGA ShopRite Classic in New Jersey, which can be found in my past postings on Twitter. The first? Kim, who finished tied for eighth. The second? Brittany Lincicome. Fortunately for Lincicome, not Kim, I was on the money as Lincicome captured the crown.
This week, I stuck with Kim and did it with all the confidence in the world. So much, that I didn't go with my standard second choice.
Bottom line, this is Kim's tournament to lose. Not to win. Kim is playing her best golf during a year where she's already been in the mix a handful of times in the late stages of tournaments. Her game, attitude and demeanor all signal victory this weekend, setting up the potential for that breakthrough moment in her career which could launch her to stardom.
WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Winner: Mindy Kim
Top five: Mindy Kim, Yani Tseng, Jiyai Shin, Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer
Sleeper: Morgan Pressel
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