The legend of Gina Kim continues to grow.
After winning the NCHSAA 3A Women’s Golf State Championship as a sophomore last season, the Chapel Hill High School prodigy began this year by finding out she’ll be one of six girls on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team this fall.
Announced Tuesday morning by the PGA of America, the roster also includes six players in the boys division. Together, the high-schoolers will represent the country at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota from Sep. 27 to Oct 2.
Kim qualified for the team as the U.S. Girls’ overall Junior Ryder Cup Points Leader.
She is coming off a big win in June when she took home the 2016 American Juniors Golf Association Rolex Championship–a prestigious amateur tournament which was played in Rochester, N.Y.
The runner-up in that event was one of her new Ryder Cup teammates–Emilia Migliaccio, another local product out of Cary.
Ranked as the No. 1 female junior golfer in North Carolina, Kim’s scoring average in 2016–according to trianglegolf.com–is a mind-boggling 71.57.
Keep in mind, this is someone who is barely old enough to drive.
Despite her local Chapel Hill connections, however, Kim has already committed to play for Duke once she’s done dominating the high school ranks.
Her coach, Ed Irbaguen, runs Duke University Golf Club. He also happened to mentor former UNC standout Carter Jenkins.
With so many accolades at her young age, she has more than earned her reputation as one of the best young golfers anywhere.
It’s probably a safe bet that this won’t be the last time you hear about Gina Kim’s rise to stardom.
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