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Michael Kim is an American professional golfer who has been a full-time member of the PGA Tour since 2016. He earned his first and only PGA Tour win at the 2018 John Deere Classic. However, his career took a downward turn, and he lost his Tour card following the 2020-21 season. After a year on the Korn Ferry Tour, Kim regained his full Tour status and rose to prominence through his unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour. Recently, he gained attention for sharing a bizarre story about an incident in an on-course bathroom at the RBC Heritage event. Unfortunately, Kim had to withdraw from the 2025 Truist Championship due to a back injury, impacting his performance in the 2025 PGA Tour season.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael Sangwon Kim |
| Date of Birth | 14 July 1993 |
| Birthplace | Seoul, South Korea |
| Raised in | San Diego, California |
| High School | Torrey Pines High School |
| University | University of California, Berkeley |
| Teammate at University | Max Homa |
| Pac-12 Men's Golfer of the Month | April 2013 |
| National Player of the Year | 2013 |
| Jack Nicklaus Award | 2013 |
| Haskins Award | 2013 |
| PGA Tour Wins | 1 (2018 John Deere Classic) |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 2021-22 |
| Regained PGA Tour Card | 2022-23 PGA Tour Season |
| Recent Withdrawal | 2025 Truist Championship (due to a back injury) |
| Social Media | X |
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What You'll Learn
Michael Kim's rise to fame
Michael Kim is an American professional golfer with one PGA Tour victory. Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in San Diego, California, where he attended Torrey Pines High School. He went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he played golf with Max Homa.
In April 2013, Kim was named the Pac-12 Men's Golfer of the Month. The following month, he became the first Cal men's golfer to be named national player of the year, receiving the 2013 Jack Nicklaus Award from the Golf Coaches Association of America. Kim capped off a stellar 2013 with the Haskins Award, which is given to the national player of the year in men's college golf.
In 2015, Kim played on the Web.com Tour, finishing 13th on the money list and earning a full-time membership to the PGA Tour for 2016. He maintained his full-time membership on the PGA Tour from 2016 onwards. In 2018, Kim achieved his first and, as of 2025, only PGA Tour win at the John Deere Classic. He won by eight shots, setting the Tournament scoring record, and earned the final invitation to the 2018 Open Championship.
Despite a successful start to his career, Kim's form declined, and he missed 19 cuts in 20 events on the PGA Tour in 2019. As of August 26, 2019, he ranked 502nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. Kim's struggles continued in the 2020–21 PGA Tour season, where he made only nine cuts in thirty starts, finishing 214th in the 2021 FedEx Cup. Consequently, he lost his full PGA Tour card.
However, Kim's career took an upward turn when he regained his PGA Tour card for the 2022–23 PGA Tour season. He also gained popularity by sharing unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour on social media platforms. In 2025, Kim qualified for the Masters Tournament, marking his second career Masters appearance.
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Kim's PGA Tour victory
Michael Kim is an American professional golfer with one PGA Tour victory. Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in San Diego, California, where he attended Torrey Pines High School. He went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he played golf with Max Homa. In April 2013, Kim was named the Pac-12 Men's Golfer of the Month. He then went on to become the first Cal men's golfer to win national player of the year honours when he received the 2013 Jack Nicklaus Award from the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Kim earned his PGA Tour card for the first time in 2016. He quickly achieved his first and, as of 2025, only PGA Tour win at the 2018 John Deere Classic, setting the tournament scoring record. However, his career took a downward turn after that, and he lost his Tour card following the 2020-21 season. During that season, he made only nine cuts in thirty starts and finished 214th in the 2021 FedEx Cup.
After a year back on the Korn Ferry Tour, Kim regained his full Tour status for the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. He has also gained popularity off the course by sharing unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour on social media platforms. In May 2025, Kim shared a story about an unfortunate incident in an on-course bathroom at a recent event, which gained him further attention.
Kim has had some notable performances in recent years, such as his appearance at the 2025 Masters, where he made a 14-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th hole. He has also qualified for the 2025 PGA Championship and is listed in the field for the 2025 Truist Championship.
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Kim's career trajectory
Michael Kim is an American professional golfer born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in San Diego, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he excelled at golf, winning the 2013 Jack Nicklaus Award and the Haskins Award in the same year. Kim turned pro in 2015, joining the Web.com Tour and finishing 13th on the money list, which earned him a full-time membership to the PGA Tour for the 2016 season.
Kim's career took off in 2016 when he earned his PGA Tour card for the first time and won his first and only PGA Tour victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic. However, his success was short-lived, and he soon hit a downward spiral, missing many cuts and falling in the rankings. In the 2019 PGA Tour season, he missed 19 cuts in 20 events and ranked 502nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. The following season, he made only nine cuts in thirty starts and finished 214th in the 2021 FedEx Cup, causing him to lose his full PGA Tour card.
However, Kim persevered and fought his way back to the top. In the 2021-22 season, he returned to the Korn Ferry Tour, regained his PGA Tour card, and secured his spot in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. He qualified for the 2025 Masters Tournament, his second career Masters appearance. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw from the 2025 Truist Championship due to a back injury, which also impacted his performance in the 2025 PGA Championship. Despite these setbacks, Kim remains a fan favorite for his unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour, sharing the highs and lows of his journey with his followers.
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Kim's withdrawal from the Truist Championship
Michael Kim, the PGA Tour pro, was set to play in the 2025 Truist Championship. However, he withdrew during the third round, citing a back injury. Kim had been scheduled to play with Justin Rose on Saturday, but his back, which "wasn't great to start the week", was aggravated over the previous two days. He played 12 holes in 3-over par on Saturday before withdrawing.
Kim's career has had its ups and downs. After winning his first and, as of 2025, only PGA Tour win at the 2018 John Deere Classic, his career took a downward turn. He missed 19 cuts in 20 events on the PGA Tour in 2019 and fell to 502nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. In the 2020-21 PGA Tour season, he made only nine cuts in thirty starts and finished 214th in the 2021 FedEx Cup, causing him to lose his Tour card.
However, Kim regained his full Tour status after a year back on the Korn Ferry Tour. He also gained popularity for his unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour, including the "bathroom mystery" involving a caddie and a pair of soiled boxer briefs. Kim has also rebuilt his swing with instructor Sean Foley and has been competing in the Masters.
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Kim's return to the Korn Ferry Tour
Michael Kim is an American professional golfer with one PGA Tour victory. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in San Diego, California. Kim attended the University of California, Berkeley, and was named the Division I recipient of the 2013 Jack Nicklaus Award by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
In 2016, Kim earned his PGA Tour card for the first time and won his first and only PGA Tour victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic. However, his career took a downward turn, and he lost his Tour card following the 2020-21 season. During this low point, Kim missed an alarming 23 cuts in a row.
After a year back on the Korn Ferry Tour, Kim regained his full Tour status and his fame rose quickly. This resurgence was due in part to his frequent and unfiltered behind-the-scenes storytelling from the PGA Tour on social media. In 2021-22, Kim returned to the Korn Ferry Tour and successfully regained his PGA Tour card for the 2022-23 PGA Tour season.
Kim's hard work paid off, and he soon found himself back on the PGA Tour, competing with the best golfers in the world. His comeback story serves as an inspiration to golfers and athletes alike, demonstrating the power of resilience and a strong work ethic in overcoming setbacks and achieving success.
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Frequently asked questions
After winning his first PGA Tour card in 2016, Michael Kim experienced a downward trajectory in his career. He lost his Tour card following the 2020-21 season but regained it for the 2022-23 PGA Tour season.
Michael Kim has been performing well in recent tournaments. He qualified for the 2025 Masters Tournament and competed in the 2025 Truist Championship, where he made a 14-foot birdie putt. However, he withdrew from the Truist Championship due to a back injury.
Michael Kim is known for sharing unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour, including a recent mystery involving an on-course bathroom incident. He also has a strong amateur golfing background, having won the Jack Nicklaus Award and the Haskins Award in 2013.
Michael Kim is scheduled to participate in the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow after competing in the Truist Championship. He has also been active on social media, sharing stories and interacting with fans.
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