THE FLATS – Carson Kim, a 2022 Rolex All-American from Yorba Linda, Calif., ranked among the nation’s top junior golfers, has signed a grant-in-aid to join Georgia Tech’s golf program, Yellow Jacket head coach Bruce Heppler announced.
Kim, who attended Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, Calif., earned Rolex All-American first-team honors in 2022 to cap a year that saw him post five top-5 AJGA results. He is ranked No. 3 nationally in the Junior Golf Scoreboard, No. 6 in the Golfweek Boys rankings and 10th in the most recent (June 27) AJGA rankings after finishing 11th at the 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and 21st at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods this year, as well as 17th at the California Amateur Championship.
“We are really excited about adding a tremendous student-athlete to our program,” said Heppler, beginning his 29th year as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach. “Carson has had the commitment and passion to excel in all aspects of his life. Not only is he one of the nation’s highest ranked junior players, but has as a student excelled academically at a level that would have allowed him entrance into the very best universities. He is going to make a great contribution to our program as a player, a student and a teammate.”
A Rolex Scholastic All-American, Kim originally signed a letter-of-intent to play at Southern California, but was granted a release following a coaching change.
Kim represented the U.S. in the 2022 Junior President’s Cup and won all three of his matches, including a 5&3 singles win, the second largest victory of the competition for the U.S. side. He earned the spot thanks to a fourth-place finish at The Junior PLAYERS Championship. Kim also played for the West team in the 2022 Wyndham Cup.
His 2022 AJGA results were highlighted by a third at the Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation Junior Championship while he posted a trio of fourth-place finishes (Junior PLAYERS and the Jack Burke, Jr., Invitational) and one tie for fifth (PING Invitational). He tied for seventh at the season-ending Rolex Tournament of Champions.
Kim, who captured All-Freeway League first-team notice and co-MVP team honors at Sunny Hills, earned the AJGA Billy Dettlaff Sportsmanship Award and was active in the AJGA Leadership Links as the top fundraiser for the Veteran’s Golf Association.
He compiled a 4.67 GPA with an academic resume that featured Rotary Top 100, AP Scholar with Distinction honors, the Servite President’s Scholarship Award and inclusion in the California Scholarship Federation.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 28th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 72 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 33 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up four times. Connect with Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
