Grace Kim Ready to Ride Evian Wave into Porthcawl Challenge
Major champion returns with calm mindset and Aussie camaraderie on her side
Porthcawl, Wales - Grace Kim is back on British shores with the glint of a major title to her name and the grit of a player unfazed by the weight of expectation. Just weeks after claiming her maiden major at the Evian Championship, the 24-year-old Australian arrives at Royal Porthcawl for the AIG Women’s Open with confidence in tow—and a grounded perspective.
“I'm still the same me,” she said. “People say ‘major champion’ and it’s still hard to believe. It probably won’t fully sink in.”
Her breakthrough in France came not with a wave of bravado but with the quiet conviction that her game was ready—and now, she’s looking to replicate that mindset on the links. “I think just knowing that my game is there and good enough,” she said. “Mentally preparing for whatever could happen—the wind could change, rain can happen—but trying to stay as calm as I can.”
Calm will be key at Porthcawl, where conditions can shift without warning and where Kim has already noted the challenge. “It’s a fair test,” she said. “Some holes into the wind, I hit 3-wood just short of the green. Then you’ve got gettable par 5s downwind. It’s a really good mix.”
That variety has prompted her and coach Khan to experiment with bump-and-run shots through the bag—even down to 3-woods—and to modify her low bounce 58-degree wedge to suit the hard ground. “Links golf tests all parts of your game. It tests your creativity.”
She’s not alone in her campaign. Kim is part of a tight-knit group of Australians that includes Hannah Green and Minjee Lee—both of whom she credits for helping ease the transition to life on the LPGA Tour. “They are the older sisters. They’re very reliable,” she said. “We get along well, we banter, and we don’t take it to heart. That bonding is very strong.”
It’s a friendship that’s not gone unnoticed. Kim beamed at a story of a young fan telling her mother she wanted to “be an Australian” because of what she saw among the trio. “Most countries are very jealous of our camaraderie. That’s the best answer you can get this week.”
And as for expectations this week? Kim’s keeping them in check. “This is already a big one. It’s the last major of our season. I’ll try to carry on the mentality I had—just worry-free. Our team’s put in a lot of effort behind the scenes. Hopefully, we can showcase that.”
Even Karrie Webb, her hero and mentor through the Karrie Webb Scholarship, was among those cheering the loudest. “She FaceTimed me and said she’s never jumped so high and screamed at the TV. That’s really special.”
For Kim, the footage of her win—and a now-viral clip of her clutch chip-in—still plays on repeat. “I even watched it last night,” she said. “That was very creative, using the kangaroo emoji to bleep the swearing. I’ll be rewatching it forever.”
Now comes the next test. The forecast may be unpredictable, but her approach is not.
“I just expect the worst and hope for the best,” she said with a grin. “Hopefully we’ll get the best.”