Updated: March, 2023

HYUN HWA SHIM

The Facts
Birthday: January 28, 1989
Rookie Year on LPGA: Not on tour
Birthplace: South Korea
Best LPGA Finish: T-25th (2011 Hana Bank Championship)
Best LPGA Major Finish: CUT (2012 US Women's Open)
Height: 5' 6"
2023 LPGA Status: On KLPGA tour
Sponsors: AJ Rent-a-Car, Titleist
AKA: Hyun Hwa Sim
Nicknames: None Known
How's her English?: Unknown
Road to the LPGA: Not on tour

Capsule Bio

Hyun Hwa Shim started her professional career by trying to qualify for the LPGA and Futures Tour in America in 2007. She missed the cut at both qualifiers, and so returned to Korea and joined the Jump Tour, a developmental tour of the KLPGA. She played well enough there to make the KLPGA tour in 2009. She finished 23rd on the money list in her rookie year, with her best finish a third place.

Shim's 2010 season was much like her first year. She produced 5 top tens and finished 30th on the money list. Solid numbers, but nothing that suggested she was capable of getting to the next level.

And then came the 2011 season, and everything changed. Shim burst from the pack to become one of the very best players on tour; indeed, at several times during the season, she was the very top player. It started with an 8th place at the China Ladies Open. She won the very next event to vault to the top of the money list. After that, she had top tens in five of the next six events.

Galleries
Seoul Sisters Pix

Shim faded somewhat over the next few months, but she rebounded towards the end of the season with several more top 20s, including a second place at the second to last event of the year. In all, she managed 10 top tens and made over 340 million won to finish second on the year's money list, ahead of even Major winner So Yeon Ryu. It had been a fabulous breakout season for the young star.

Alas, 2012 was nowhere near as good a follow up year for her. She played in four LPGA events but made only one cut, a tie for 53rd at the Hana Bank. On the KLPGA tour, she finished a surprising 63rd on the money list, with 7 missed cuts and no finish higher than 12th. She made only about 40 million won all year.

Shim was only slightly better in 2013. She finished 55th on the money list with 61 million won earned. Her best finish that year was a 10th. Shim struggled again in 2014, finishing 81st on the money list with 28 million won earned. Her best finish that year was 9th, but she also missed a bunch of cuts during the season.

Shim played on the minor league Dream Tour from 2015 to 2017. In 2018, she returned to the KLPGA tour, but made less than 10 million won. Her best finish that year was a 22nd place. Shim has played on the Dream Tour for the most part since 2019.

Hyun Hwa played one KLPGA event in 2022 on a sponsor's invite, the E1 Charity Open, but missed the cut.
Back to Other Players Page