LPGA tour winner Grace Kim reveals her hope to honour her idol and snare Karrie Webb Cup

Australian LPGA winner Grace Kim has opened up on the pressure to achieve the WPGA Championship on home soil, as she strives to honour her idol, golfing icon Karrie Webb.

She’s won on the prestigious LPGA tour but there’s little that would excite Sydney product Grace Kim more than snaring the Karrie Webb Cup on home soil next month.

Kim, 24, will headline the Australian WPGA Championship at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast next month, where she will attempt to honour her golfing idol by winning her first professional title in Australia.

“She’s been a big (influence),” the Avondale Golf Club product said.

“I think that’s hard to beat. She’s an Australian icon and just to be able to see and spend some time with her first hand is priceless.

“I think having her contact is also priceless - she’s obviously really easy to talk to and always reaches out whenever we need help.

“And obviously she’s been there and done that before. So she’s great for advice and just emotional support as well.”

Grace Kim is chasing a home title. Picture: Raj Mehta/Getty Images

There’s no pressure on Kim, who won the Lotte Championship in Hawaii, in just the third start of her debut year on the LPGA Tour in 2023, to emulate the success of Webb - one of Australia’s greatest sportswomen, who won 41 times on the LPGA tour and collected seven majors.

But as an LPGA winner, she does feel the pressure to do well when in Australia.

Like major winners Hannah Green and Minjee Lee, who are always under the spotlight when teeing up on home soil, plenty of attention will be on Kim when she plays Sanctuary Cove for the first time next month.

“Obviously we love playing at home but … along comes the pressure with that - whether it’s from external or internal - it’s a hard one, but we always try and look at it as a positive,” she said.

“And you know, nothing’s better than playing at home. They’re always cheering for you regardless of your performance, so nothing beats the Aussie support.”

The pressure is something Kim admits she has put on herself as she strives to succeed.

Having been at Hazeltine National Golf Club, along with Webb, when Green won the LPGA tournament in 2019, she has seen first-hand the success Australian players can produce.

Hannah Green (L) and Kim will both be in the spotlight. Picture: Harry How/Getty Images

In a bid to arrest flagging stamina in the back end of tournaments, the lanky Kim delayed her LPGA tour start this season, concentrating instead on a block of strength training that has both given her physical gains and left her available to play on the Gold Coast.

The WPGA Championship is the first of three Ladies European Tour (LET) co-sanctioned events on Australian shores, with a strong European presence expected to take on some of Australia’s best alongside Kim.

WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn expects Kim to be among the top contenders.

“Grace went so close to getting her hands on the Karrie Webb Cup at the inaugural Australian WPGA Championship back in 2022, I know that she will be incredibly determined to go one better this year and get her first major win on home soil,” Lunn said.

“Having Grace tee it up at this event is a fantastic vote of support for what we are doing, and I am sure fans will embrace the opportunity to catch a glimpse of one of the brightest young talents in the global game.”

Co-sanctioned by the WPGA Tour of Australasia and LET, the WPGA Championship will headline the new Gold Coast Festival of Golf at Sanctuary Cove Resort from March 6-9.

Originally published as LPGA tour winner Grace Kim reveals her hope to honour her idol and snare Karrie Webb Cup