JACKSONVILLE, FLa. – Auston Kim may have had a few nerves back then, but experience has toughened her up a bit for a major golf championship.
The 2017 Nease High School graduate is no stranger to the U.S. Women’s Open, teeing off in the major for the third time in her career this week. And with that experience comes a far different perspective for Kim, who graduated from Vanderbilt this spring with a degree in political science.
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“There are definitely multiple goals and I think that’s been something that I’ve realized as I’ve matured. It’s not just one overall goal, to make the cut, to be in contention …,” she said on Wednesday afternoon. “So, just taking it step by step but also focusing on the process. Just really taking it shot by shot.”
Kim tees off at 9:27 a.m. Thursday in the 77th U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
Kim has had solid second rounds in each of her previous attempts, a 1-under 70 in her 2019 debut at the Country Club of Charleston and a 3-over 74 in the delayed 2020 at Champions Golf Club in Houston. Kim has finished 7-over in each. Incremental progress is expected each time, and that can come in a variety of ways. Making the cut is the ideal next step for Kim.
There’s a bit of normalcy in this appearance in her third major championship. Kim was a freshman in college when she made her U.S. Women’s Open debut. She qualified again the following year, only to see the pandemic throw the world out of balance and push the early summer Open into early December. Kim had opted out of her fall season with Vanderbilt to tinker with her game and stay home in the area.
“Yeah, there were definitely nerves. My first year, second year too,” she said. “But this year, it’s a little different. I am feeling more confident, and I know what I’m here to do. I know what I want to achieve and I’m just trying my best to be calm and play the best golf that I can.”
This year feels as close to normal as it has in quite some time, and Kim certainly feels like a golfer with greater experience. She’s qualified and played in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur twice (the pandemic postponed the 2020 event to last year) and had a T-25 in 2021.
She enjoyed a solid senior season with Vanderbilt, leading the Commodores in scoring average (72.57).
“Yeah, I’ve matured a lot in terms of my golf IQ. I’m thinking about course management a lot. Thinking about potential misses and making sure that I’m not short sighting myself or hitting it past the green because a lot of the greens here are severely back to front,” she said. “So, just making sure that I’m taking the really bad misses out of play. I’ve gotten a lot more consistent. I know that I’ve seen a lot of improvement across the board. Playing some smart golf this week but also playing offensively. Getting ready for that.”