Updated: March, 2024

SUNG AH YIM

The Facts

Birthday: March 20, 1984
Rookie Year on LPGA: 2005
Birth Place: Seoul, South Korea
Wins: 1
Best LPGA Finish: Win (2006 Florida's Natural)
Best LPGA Major Finish: T-9th (2006 McDonald's LPGA Championship)
Best Score: 64 (2005, 2006)
Best Scoring Average for a year: 72.46 (2005)
Best Season money total: $385,224 (2006)
Best Season Money Position: 31st (2006)
Most Top Tens/Season: 4 (2005, 2006)
Height: 5' 4"
2024 LPGA Status: Retired; on KLPGA tour
Nicknames: None known
Sponsors: Hysco/Hyundai
How's her English?: Unknown
Hobbies: Movies
Road to the LPGA: T-10th at 2004 Q-School to gain Exempt card for 2005.

Capsule Bio

Sung Ah Yim turned pro in late 2002. She played on the KLPGA tour in 2003, where her results were decent but unspectacular. In 2004, she moved to America and played on the Futures Tour, where she did better. There, she notched 8 top tens, and managed two more top fives on the KLPGA.

At 2004 Q-School, she finished tied for 10th to secure an exempt card for the 2005 season.

2005 has been a strong year for Yim. She notched several top twenties early, then put herself into a position to win at the Jamie Farr Classic. Indeed, had she made a fifteen foot putt for birdie on the final hole, she would have won. As it was, though, she missed that putt and a follow up par, and finished tied for third. A few months later, she took a share of the first round lead at the Safeway Classic and finished tied for 5th. She also notched a 9th at the State Farm Classic after that. Thus, Yim easily retained her exempt status for 2006.

Sung Ah had a solid start to her year, contending at the very first event in February. But it was at the Florida's Natural Championship that she made the biggest splash. She played in the final group Sunday with none other than Annika Sorenstam. On paper, it looked like a mismatch, but Yim played well, and in the end it was Annika who blinked first when she hit her tee shot out of bounds on the second to last hole. Thus, amazingly, Sung Ah Yim won her first LPGA event. Shortly thereafter, she got her first top ten in a Major at the LPGA Championship. She wound up 31st on the money list, earning two more years of exemption on tour in the process.

Galleries
2007 Photos
2006 Photos
Photos
Seoul Sisters Pix

2007 was an off year. She finished out of the top 90 on the money list, but fortunately still had an exempt card thanks to her 2006 win. Yim continued to struggle in 2008; by the end of the season, she had not even managed a top 30 finish on tour all year. Fortunately, she still maintained good status for 2009 thanks to her previous victory. However, after a poor 2009 where she made only 11 thousand dollars, Sung Ah's status for 2010 was reduced to category 15.

Yim returned to Korea full time in 2010. She had a so so season, finishing 26th on the money list with a little more than 100 million won earned. She did contend in a few events, however, notably at the Korean Women's Open, where she finished third behind winner Soo Jin Yang. She also notched a third at the year's final Major, the KB Star Tour Grand Finale, which was won by another big star, Bo Mee Lee.

Yim had a worse season in 2011. She only had two top tens, a fifth place at the penultimate event of the year, and a 10th place. She finished 43rd on the money list. She was slightly worse in 2012, finishing 48th on the money list. Her best finish that year was a 4th.

Sung Ah was 64th on the 2013 KLPGA money list. Her best finish was a 13th. In 2014 and 2015, however, she only played a few events, and missed the cut in all of them. It's possible she was dealing with injuries.

In 2016, she returned to action, playing in the minor leagues in Korea. She advanced back to the KLPGA for the 2017 season. But she didn't have much success in 2017. She finished just 108th on the money list, with less than 20 million won earned. She made just six cuts all year, with her best finish a 44th place.

In 2018, she did not seem to have played golf on any tour, and it is possible she has retired.
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