LIV Golf 2026 New Player Analysis: Minkyu Kim

LIV Golf has announced that Minkyu Kim will be joining the brand-new Korean Golf Club for the 2026 season, joining captain Byeong Hun An. 

PLAYER BIO 

Age: 24 

Nationality: South Korean 

OWGR: 352nd 

Data Golf Ranking: Unranked

Career Wins: 7 (Asian Tour: 2022 and 2024 Kolon Korea Open; Challenge Tour: 2018 D+D Real Czech Challenge; Korean Tour: 2024 Descente Korea Munsingwear Matchplay; PGA EuroPro Tour: 2017 Pentahotels Championship, 2017 FORE Business Championship; Jamega Pro Golf Tour: 2017 Windmill Hill Classic).  

Career Highlights: Kim turned pro in early 2017 and quickly made his mark by winning multiple events on developmental tours. He claimed two titles on the PGA EuroPro Tour in successive weeks (Pentahotels Championship and FORE Business Championship) and finished second on the Order of Merit, earning promotion to the Challenge Tour. In 2018, at just 17 years and 64 days old, he became the youngest winner in Challenge Tour history by capturing the D+D Real Czech Challenge. 

Best Major Finish: T31 at the 2024 Open Championship.  

2025 Results: Kim posted eight top-20 finishes across the Asian Tour, Korean Tour and the DP World Tour, with two runners-up finishes on the Korean Tour. His best finish on the DP World Tour was a T8 at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. 

Major Eligibility in 2026: As of January 2026, Kim is not exempt into any major championships. 

2025 RANKS 

No statistics available across DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Korean Tour.

STATISTICAL PROFILE

Kim is a short but accurate hitter off the tee. His iron play has not been a strength, but he tends to make up for it with a strong around the green and putting game.

Statistical lookalike: Ben Campbell

INTERESTING FACTS

• He grew up in a challenging family environment where his single father worked tirelessly to support his golf aspirations, despite financial hardships that sometimes left them struggling to afford entry fees. 

• Early in his junior days, charitable support played a key role in his development. Organizations such as World Vision provided him with "love lunch boxes" and competition fees when money was tight, and the Choi Kyung-ju Foundation stepped in to help him pursue golf seriously. 

• As a result of that foundation's assistance, Kim has long expressed that legendary South Korean golfer K.J. Choi is the player he respects and admires the most. 

• Despite the high costs associated with golf as a sport, his rise from humble beginnings to becoming a pro at such a young age is often described in Korean media as nothing short of a "miracle." 

• Nick Pugh, the current caddie for Lucas Herbert of Ripper GC, had a short stint caddying for Kim early in his career.

BOTTOM LINE

Kim has been a professional since early 2017 but is still only 24 years old. He’s had a lot of success on developmental tours and there is still plenty of time for that to translate to competing against some of the best players in the world. As a player who was once considered an extraordinary young talent, there is still plenty of potential for Korean Golf Club to unlock.

(Photo courtesy of Korean PGA Tour)