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By Christina Kim
Playing on the LPGA Tour for the last five years has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Where do the perks end? I get to enjoy the respect of my peers, the travel to different cities every week, the challenge of playing some of the greatest golf courses in the world… the shopping!! The rewards are amazing, but the journey to the LPGA has not been a short or easy one.
One of the questions most often asked of me is how I got started in the wonderful game of golf. Like 95% of most golfers in the world, I explain that my parents introduced me to the game. One day in 1995, my dad, Man (yep, that’s his name and he used to kid around, saying, “My name is Man because I am THE MAN,” completely cringe-worthy!), took me into our backyard in San Jose, CA, and handed me an unusual stick with a rubber end and a metal head. He showed me how to stand and how to hold it, and once I mastered that, he had me swing the club (making sure I didn’t let go!). Once I felt comfortable doing that, he had me swing 500 times a day as my “homework assignment.” I had very little concept of what I was actually doing, but my dad knew that if my muscles learned to make the proper motions, once my brain started to kick in, I would make greater strides and reach “the zone” more quickly. Boy, was he right!
After a month of swinging around the backyard, he took me to a local golf course and allowed me to hit balls for the first time. I had never made the connection to actually do something with the swinging stick but once I did, the excitement and enjoyment of the game increased a thousand-fold! I became addicted to the driving range and couldn’t wait for my daily session of hitting those little white golf balls as far as I could. Over time, I began to realize that I could shape the ball to do what I wanted it to do by adjusting how I swung and how I struck it. To this day, the exhilaration I first felt over a dozen years ago has not subsided one bit.
The game has brought me so many friends from every corner of the globe and has taught me so many of life’s lessons. Competing at tops levels has taught me about pride, honesty and integrity. The practice necessary to be one of the best has taught me dedication and responsibility. My less-than-perfect shots have taught (and continue to teach) me patience and acceptance. Although everything can’t always be “textbook-style” perfect, I am doing exactly what I need to be and I am perfect within myself. I can’t think of any better way to be a student of life!
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