Golf is a rollercoaster, something Gina Kim knows all too well. The highs make you feel like you’re on top of the world, but the lows can have you questioning why you even started in the first place.

For Gina, the 2024 LPGA Tour season was one of the lows. Her second year on the biggest stage in women’s golf saw the former Duke University standout struggle. She only made six cuts in 18 starts, and her best result was a T35 at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, one that came in her last tournament of the season. And after finding success early in her young career and graduating from the Epson Tour in 2022 as a rookie, Gina was not expecting her game to take a turn for the worse.

But now, that’s all in the past. After losing her card in 2024, Gina returned to the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA for the 2025 season. She was down in the dumps but ready to fight to get her game back on track. And boy, did she ever. The 25-year-old found herself in the winner’s circle three times, a year-long performance that has paved her way back to the LPGA Tour in 2026, as those three victories have secured Gina her card before the season officially comes to a close in just a couple of months.

“I think after going through the struggles that I went through last year, it just feels super nice knowing that I can come out of it on the other side,” Gina said. “Last year, I thought everything was hopeless and the whole world was against me, so it's nice to know that I have the right people around me.

“I have people who believed in me before even I did. It's nice to see all of it coming together, and I'm really excited to see what I can do next year.”

When Gina teed it up at the Central Florida Championship in March, her mind wasn’t on Epson Tour graduation. It wasn’t time to lock in and get back to the LPGA; it was time to refocus and regain her love for the game that’s always been a constant in her life.

It wasn’t Gina against the rest of the Epson Tour field each week, but rather Gina against her mind. And to say that line of thinking paid off is an understatement.

“I was busy trying to find my game at that moment,” Gina said of the season-opener in Florida. “Last year was definitely a struggle for me, so I felt like this year, it was more of a clean slate of just working my way back up. To say that I'm in this position, I don't think that ever crossed my mind at the beginning, so this feels really amazing.”

Earning her Tour card the second time around was a little more stress-free for the North Carolina native, despite starting the season at one of the lowest points in her career. In 2022, Gina did not secure her status early, making the Epson Tour Championship a nail-biting experience. Hearing the news that she’s solidified a spot in the top 15 with tournaments remaining on the schedule was a relief, something she proudly called more satisfying.

And by her side through it all has been her “biggest supporter,” her mother. When competing on the LPGA Tour, Gina opted for a professional caddie, one who could read her putts and give her sound advice, a different perspective than the one her mother provides while on the bag.

Gina, a self-proclaimed “yapper,” leans on her mom for comfort and conversation to distract herself from the pressure and nerves that tend to crop up in every round. Sure, her mom may give some competitive advice here and there, as she’s been around the game since Gina picked up a club, but for the most part, she is mostly there to serve as a friendly face and act as Gina’s lifeline.

“She's been there with me through the ups and downs, especially for the down part, so she's seen me really go through it all. I'm really grateful for her support and for helping me get through what I needed to get through last year,” Gina said. “It's been fun. It's comfortable. I think that was something that I was looking for last year but couldn't quite find it, so it's been amazing to have her with me.”

As she heads back to the LPGA Tour in 2026, Gina will try to let go of the weight that followed her to the circuit the first time. After a successful collegiate career and rookie campaign on the Epson Tour, the Duke University graduate felt that if she didn’t hit the ground running, she’d fall behind, a common thought process for young athletes.

“That obviously put a lot of pressure on me,” Gina said. “Knowing I can have fun and just play to the best of my abilities, I think that just freed me up a lot. And it's helped me find my love of the game again. Last year, I lost a lot of that, and I think I was burnt out. It's nice to appreciate what I have right now, and it's amazing to feel excited every day knowing what I can do in that specific moment. I feel really blessed to be here.”

And although the rollercoaster that is professional golf will really never come to a stop for her, Gina now knows that not only can she handle the lows, but there are also highs waiting for her on the other side.

Gina Kim Regains Love of Golf, LPGA Tour Card Via Epson Tour

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