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Jin Hee Im started playing golf in high school,
very late for a player who ended up in the big leagues. She
turned pro in 2016 and played in the minor leagues for two
years, qualifying for the KLPGA in 2018.
For the next few years, Im toiled in relative
obscurity. She only finished 64th on the money list in her
rookie season, and 84th in 2019. In 2020, she played just
three events.
But in 2021, she finally turned things around
and started her ascent to the top of the league. She accumulated
six top tens and finished 22nd on the money list, making 312
million won. More importantly, she collected her first win
at the BC Card Ladies Cup. Finally she was secure with a card.
2022 was an even better year for Im. That
year she had 8 top tens and another win, this time at the
McCol Mona Park Open, where she held off a hard charging rookie
by the name of Ina Yoon. She also had a runner-up finish and
a third. She made 538 million won, good for 14th on the money
list.
Her momentum exploded in 2023, and she went
from a talented player to one of the best in the league. She
became one of the few in tour history to break a billion won
in a season, collecting 1.145 billion won and finishing second
on the money list. She was also second in the Player of the
Year race and third in scoring average. Most impressively,
she grabbed four wins during the year, the most of anyone
on tour. She had 13 total top tens, tying for most in the
league. Her world ranking moved up to 40th by the end of the
year.
She decided the time was right to take a crack
at the LPGA and she entered Q-Series in the Fall. She struggled
a bit, but hung tough and finished tied for 17th, earning
one of the final full cards for the 2024 season. She had a
great first year on tour. She notched six top tens, including
two top tens at Majors. Her best chance to win came at the
Annika Powered by Gainsbridge, the year's penultimate event.
Had she won, she would have moved ahead of Mao Saigo in the
Rookie of the Year race. Alas, she finished 2nd and ended
up finishing 2nd in the rookie race as well. She finished
18th on the money list, earning $1.3 million dollars. This
was the best result for a Korean rookie in 2024.
Im also played three events in Korea in 2024,
notching a t-10th at the Samdasoo Masters. She also played
on the LET tour in Saudi Arabia but missed the cut.
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