Seonghyeon Kim Facts: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About The PGA Tour Pro

The South Korean pro has been steadily making a name for himself since turning professional in 2017 - here's what we know about the rising star

Seonghyeon Kim takes a shot at the US Open
Seonghyeon Kim is one of the game's rising stars
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mike Hall
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Seonghyeon Kim (or SH Kim) earned his PGA Tour card in 2022, and ever since then, he's been steadily building a solid reputation to become one of several accomplished South Koreans on the circuit. 

Here are 15 things you may not be aware of about the rising PGA Tour star.

1. Kim was born on 17 September 1998 in Changwon, South Korea

2. He began playing golf at the age of 12

3. He played college golf at Korea National Sport University

4. He turned professional in 2017 and, in the early part of his pro career, he played on the KPGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Japan Challenge Tour

5. Kim’s first professional win came in 2019 on the Japan Golf Tour’s Heiwa PGM Challenge I Road To Championship

6. Further wins followed at the 2020 KPGA Championship and the Japan PGA Championship – one of the biggest tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour

7. In May 2021, he shot a final round of 58 in the Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament 

8. In November 2021, Kim earned his Korn Ferry Tour card via Q School, and six months later had a PGA Tour card after surpassing the required 900-point threshold in 11 tournaments

9. He was named 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year

Seonghyeon Kim with the Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year trophy

Seonghyeon Kim was named Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year in 2022

(Image credit: Getty Images)

10. Since his breakthrough on the Korn Ferry Tour he has been mentored by former World No.5 and eight-time PGA Tour winner KJ Choi

11. Kim’s maiden PGA Tour appearance came at the 2022/23 season opener, the Fortinet Championship, where he finished T36

Seonghyeon Kim takes a shot at the 2022 Fortinet Championship

Seonghyeon Kim made his PGA Tour debut at the 2022 Fortinet Championship

(Image credit: Getty Images)

12. The following year, that tournament saw him claim his highest finish on the PGA Tour to date with runner-up behind Sahith Theegala

13. He made his Major debut at the 2024 PGA Championship

14. Kim revealed that YE Yang’s 2009 win against Tiger Woods had been an inspiration heading into the Valhalla event. He told PGATour.com: “since I have turned professional and have been playing this game for years, I now realize how big of a title this is. YE's win gave a lot of young Korean golfers including myself hope and a message that one day, any one of us can also achieve it.”

15. Kim also appeared at the US Open at Pinehurst No.2 the following month after making it through final qualifying

Mike Hall
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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