The game of golf is notoriously uncertain. From the unpredictability of weather on any given day to the potential for inconsistent play, much is out of an athlete's control. Mirroring the game she plays, Kyung Kim faces even more uncertainty.
Kim, a senior on USC's No. 1 women's golf team, has been dealing with a wrist injury this season, affecting her ability to contribute. Though well enough to play in the regular season finale this past weekend, her wrist injury has planted a seed of doubt."It's kind of been a frustrating year for me because of this wrist injury that's been going on for the past two years," said Kim. "I don't really know when it pops up, so it can be all of a sudden during a tournament."
The two-time All-American first teamer has a lot depending on that wrist. Not only do the Women of Troy have national championship aspirations, but Kim has long hoped to compete at the professional level.
Well before she played for the Trojans, she started playing golf in Hawaii at the age of eight when her father often brought her out to the golf course. Her father was her biggest influence for getting into golf after seeing him have so much fun playing with his friends. Since then she's been on track to play professionally.
"My parents pushed me a lot since I was young. They wanted me to go to college and graduate. They're very supportive and want to see what my future holds with golf," said Kim.
After seeing their daughter devote herself to golf from an early age, Kim's parents got the best of both worlds when she committed to USC. Kim said from the minute she toured the campus she knew she'd found a new home.
"I really wanted to play for a top-ranked team and I liked the school, everything about it. I loved the team members because I'd known them from junior golf, so I just knew I was going to fit in," she explained.
From the familiarity of the young women on the team, coupled with a great recruiting trip and her love for the principles of the Trojan Family, it was a match made in heaven.
Her fondest memory at USC to date was winning a national championship her freshman year, part of an eight-tournament win streak that continued into her sophomore season. That 2013-14 team won a school-record nine events.
"We kind of felt unbeatable," she said with a laugh. "We felt really confident going into every tournament. We knew if one player didn't have a good day the other four would make up for it. It was really fun every tournament."
After being a part of a national championship-winning team her freshman year, the three-time All-American is itching to win again, and she won't let a nagging injury get in the way of a chance to win her second national championship in four years. The No. 1 ranked Trojans got a huge boost this past weekend as Kim won all three of her match-play matches, helping the Trojans take down No. 4 Northwestern and No. 6 Georgia en route to third place at the Liz Murphey Invitational.
"Kyung has been one of our most steady players throughout her USC career, even when she's not at her best," said head coach Andrea Gaston. "As a three-time All-American, she is the spark that can take us from good to great."
After USC, she plans to return to Hawaii at some point and start playing golf professionally. Kim knows she'll have her teammates, coaches and the Trojan Family with her wherever she goes, but that won't stop her from soaking up these last few putts and drives in college.
If her wrist stays healthy, Kim and her teammates should be in for a very exciting end to the season and could vie for her second NCAA team title. For now, she's focused on just that, looking to go out on top in her final season at USC.
The postseason begins in less than two weeks, at the upcoming Pac-12 Championships, which will take place April 18-20, in Pleasanton, California.
