Kim, who originally joined the Lakers as an assistant coach in 2012, was named the full-time head coach in July 2015 after helping guide Clayton State to the highest finish in the Peach Belt Conference Championship since 2009 when they won the title. This year they finished 4-of-12 as a team while shooting a 294-286-580, a mark that ranks as the second lowest two-day tournament score in program history.
Individually, that performance was fueled by a pair of All-Peach Belt Tournament honorees in Alex Vetnar and Keith Egan. Vetnar finished second overall with a 71-68-139, one stroke off the eventual champion, while Egan was tied for fifth at 70-71-141. It is only the third time in program history that the Lakers have had two All-Tournament selections in the same year, and first since 2009.
The team finish also marked the third straight top five performance at the PBC Championships, all while Kim has been on staff.
In 2013-14, he was a part of a staff that produced the first NCAA Division II Regional Tournament appearance since the 2009 team. The club would go on to finish 14th in the highly competitive Southeast Regional with a three round score of 899.
That squad was led by Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year and All-American Fredrik Lindblom. Both of those honors were the first since 2009 when Will Wilcox and Wade Binfield were both All-Americans and Wilcox was the Player of the Year.
In Kim's first year with Clayton State, Tyson Beaupre tied for ninth at the PBC Championships with the team finishing 5-of-11 with a 306-290-294-890. During the year, the Lakers were ranked 30th in the nation by GolfStat.
Prior to coming to Morrow, Ga., Kim played professionally on a number of tours. From 2008-12 he competed on the eGolf Gateway Tour. In his first season, 2008, he tied for third in both the Spring Creek Classic (June 18-20) and the River Hills Open (July 16-18) before notching a sixth place tie at the Greater Richmond Open (June 3-5) in 2009.
He has also played in 86 tournaments on the NGA Hooters Tour since 2005, finishing in the money 62 times and averaging 70.82 strokes. Kim experienced tremendous success in just his second tournament, winning the Michelob Ultra Classic at Royal Lakes (March 14-20).
In 2006 he would post three straight Top-10 finishes at one point and deliver four runner-up outings over the next two seasons. His 2009 season would be highlighted by a fourth place tie and sixth place tie within a month's time. Among his career achievements on the tour are the 2005 NGA Hooters Tour Championship and being the 2006 NGA Hooters Tour points leader.
Kim began his pro career in 1996 on the Tear Drop Tour and it didn't take very long for him to be successful. Just two years into his professional career, he earned the 1998 Tear Drop Tour Championship.
Prior to embarking on a 16-year pro career, the native of Jonesboro, Ga. competed collegiately at Division I power North Carolina State for longtime coach Richard Sykes. During his time in Raleigh, N.C., Kim was very accomplished. In 1994, while a member of the Wolfpack, he competed in the U.S. Amateur Open Championship, claiming Medalist honors with a score of 132. He also shot a first round 64 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Verde Beach, Fla.
Collegiately, Kim delivered his best season in 1995. That year he became just the fifth Atlantic Coast Conference Individual Champion with a 70-68-70-208 performance, and is still just one of six in that program's history. As a team, NC State finished third in the NCAA Division I East Regional, with Kim placing seventh as the team's highest individual finisher.
That season also earned him All-ACC honors and just the 16th All-District/All-Region selection. He was also just the eighth different individual to be so recognized. During his career he earned a pair of victories, including 1995 ACC Championship, and is tied for the 11th most wins in program history as of 2015.
Kim is a 1995 graduate of North Carolina State University.
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