DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Florida native Auston Kim has played her way into the Race for the Card top 10 after firing a third-round, 7-under 65 on Moving Day at the Epson Tour Championship. The 23-year-old made birdie on more than half of the Jones Course at LPGA International, recording 10 total birdies in 18 holes, and carded three bogeys and five pars to post her second consecutive round of 65 or better in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Kim opened her weeks with rounds of 71 and 64 and began the day in a tie for 11th at 9-under. She shot out of the gate, making two birdies in her first three holes on Nos. 1 and 3. After back-to-back pars on the next two, Kim struck again with a birdie on the par-3 6th hole, grabbing two more on holes 8 and 9 to turn in 31 and move to 14-under overall. She made a third consecutive birdie on the par-4 10th before tripping up with a pair of bogeys to drop back to 13-under. But Kim recovered quickly, rattling off four straight birdies to get to 17-under with two holes to play.
A late bogey on the par-5 18th hole took her down one notch to 16-under, and the Vanderbilt University alum is now in a tie for fourth with one round left at the Epson Tour Championship. More importantly, however, Kim is now projected at ninth in the Race for the Card and will need a solo eighth or better – not accounting for ties – to capture one of the seven remaining LPGA Tour cards that are up for grabs on Sunday.
“I was hitting it pretty close all day. I think the longest putt that I had today was 40 feet and I was making everything that I looked at. I'd just set my line, hit the putt, and it was going in,” said Kim of her third round 65. “I don't think you can ever master anything, but I got close to being really good today. I had a couple hiccups on the back, but I told myself those will happen, mistakes will happen. I think it's important not to be reckless on the course. There were a lot of really difficult pins out there today, but I just focused on trusting myself and knowing that my numbers are good, my shots are really solid.”
Kim joined the Epson Tour last season and has recorded 10 career top-10s since her rookie year, nine of which have come in 2023. One of those nine was a career-best tie for second at the Island Resort Championship presented by Delta County Chamber that came after Kim recorded a three-day total of 14-under, falling just one shot short of her first victory. As the Tour sophomore eyes another Sunday in contention at LPGA International, she will definitely rely on that past experience as she works to close the two-shot gap between her and co-leaders Kaleigh Telfer and Michelle Zhang
Kim will also take a moment to reflect on how far she has come in such a short amount of time, grateful for the opportunity to not only win her first Epson Tour event but potentially walk away from the Epson Tour Championship as a 2024 LPGA Tour rookie.
“The first half of the year I felt like I was knocking and I couldn't miss. I had three top 10 finishes in a row. Almost got a win,” Kim said. “After that, I felt like I couldn't hit a shot straight or where I wanted. Putts weren't dropping. Nothing was clicking again. It gets frustrating. Golf is hard. It's important to keep perspective about that. You can work 10-hour days and not play well at all, but the most important part to me right now is just surrendering to the outcome, just trying your best, knowing that your best is enough.
“I know I've been knocking all year. A win would feel fantastic. It would also be a testament to what I've been working hard on. Like I said, there is still another round left. The job isn't done. I don't want to get too ahead of myself.”
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