Updated at 1:02 p.m., Monday, July 2, 2007
Kimberly Kim on summer of golf: 'Not always easy'
By John Marshall
Associated Press asap
Though it changed the public perception of her basically, more people became aware of her talent it didn't really affect how she approaches her life and her game.
Now 15, Kim still practices hard, still has the kind of game that allows her to shoot low numbers and still spends her summers living out of a suitcase.
"It's not always easy," says Kim, who's from the Big Island, but spends most of her time in Arizona with her mother for golf reasons. "Sometimes it's hard to figure out where you are when you wake up in the morning."
Life on the road can be tough, but it's the way of the junior golfer to be on the top you need talent, perseverance and a packed suitcase.
And Kim fits that bill perfectly; she's been traveling the country to tournaments for a few years, and her win at the U.S. Amateur isn't going to change that.
The way her father, Young Soo Kim, sees it, the only way to get better is to face the best players. To do that, you need to travel to all the top tournaments, which can be grueling since they're spread from coast to coast.
"It's tough and she's got to do the school work at the same time," Kim's father says. "I think it's worth it because of the experience in a big tournament like this and the LPGA makes a good player."
asap caught up with the Kims at an American Junior Golf Association event at Hiwan Golf Club earlier this month and had them run down what Kimberly's schedule has been like since she won the U.S. Amateur. Here's what Kim's year looks like, including how she finished in tournaments that have already taken place:
U.S. Girls Championship, Lakewood, Washington, July 23-28.
AJGA Canon Cup, Ooltewah, Tenn, July 30-Aug. 2.
John Marshall is asap's sports reporter, based in Denver. Want to comment? Sound off at mailto:soundoffasap@ap.org.