Earl Marriott Secondary’s Lauren Kim swings straight from graduation to the golf course
Earl Marriott grad Lauren Kim recently increased her World Amateur Golf Ranking to 97th in the world. Image courtesy of Lauren Kim.While some recent high-school graduates may be spending their summers working or preparing for post-secondary education this fall, recent Earl Marriott Secondary grad Lauren Kim was busy competing against the very best golfers in the world.
Having just graduated from Grade 12 in June, there was no time for rest or relaxation as Kim was off to the famous Pebble Beach in California to compete in the 78th Annual United States Women’s Open Championship, one of the oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments in the world.
Placing in the top half of U.S. Women's Open competitors, Kim followed up that performance with a quarter-final finish at the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, where she placed fifth overall after conceding to eventual tournament champion Kiara Romero. With those two combined finishes, Kim increased her World Amateur Golf Rankings position to 97th.
“Having just finished my final junior [players who have not yet finished high school] tournament of my career, I can definitely say that I have learned so much over the past seven years,” she said after landing back home in Surrey. “Probably one of the most significant lesson that I learned was that you have to make sacrifices and put in the work to achieve success, especially at such a high-level competition.”
With her parents owning and operating a local driving range, golf was always a part of life for Kim growing up. She started playing competitively at age 10 and, after making a name for herself on the youth scene, took a big step up in competition in 2018 when she qualified for the Canadian Women's Amateur Championship at just 12 years old.
In the years since, Kim has amassed an impressive run of achievements, including placing third at the Canadian Women's Amateur Championship, netting second place at the Canadian Summer Games, and second at the NextGen Pacific Championship.
“I would say competing in two U.S. Women’s Opens in a row would have to be a pretty major accomplishment, especially for a teenager,” she said when asked what her proudest moment is.
Another highlight from this past year was being able to play with one of her biggest inspirations, New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko.
“I have always looked up to her from a young age and aspired to have an amazing career like Lydia,” said Kim. “I had the opportunity to play with her at the Mizuho Americas Open back in June, which had to have been one of my highlights of the year so far!”
Asked about how being raised on the west coast has influenced her game, Kim said while some may complain about the weather here, it’s actually helped her adapt to playing in all kinds of situations.
“The tough conditions during the spring, winter, and sometimes even fall taught me how to manage my game during those difficult conditions in the cold and rain,” she explained. “When I compete in tournaments that bring about cold weather, I have the knowledge and experience to score in those conditions.”
Looking ahead, Kim will begin her post-secondary career golfing for the University of Texas this fall and hopes to keep her momentum into next year’s season.
“I am looking forward to the start of my college career with hopefully a few wins and a national championship,” she said. “Eventually, I would love to achieve my long-time dream of becoming an LPGA tour pro with a lot of wins under my name!”
Congratulations Lauren and good luck in Texas this fall!
