Mindy Kim

Fully exempt into the 2012 U.S. Women's Open by way of her top-70 finish on the 2011 LPGA money list (38th). This is her first U.S. Women's Open.
Mindy Kim was born in South Korea, but came to California as a young girl and started playing golf at the age of 6.
She qualified for the Futures Tour while still 17 years old, and played that tour in 2007, where her top finish was a tie for fifth. She easily maintained her tour card for 2008.
2008 was her breakout year on the Futures. Still only 18, one of the youngest girls on tour, she started her year with top-tens in two of her first three events. But it was at the Mercedes Championship in Kansas in mid-May that Mindy broke through with her first win. She followed that up with another victory at the following event, the Aurora Health Care Championship.
From that point on, Kim rarely finished outside of the top ten. In August, she collected a third win in Kentucky, pretty much sealing her tour card for the LPGA in 2009. In the end, she finished second on the money list with $79,270, a total that would have led the money list almost any other year, but was still behind Vicky Hurst in 2008.
Mindy's rookie year on the LPGA wasn't great, although she did finish well enough on the money list (92nd) to maintain reasonable status on tour. She had only a single top-ten, a tie for 10th at the Wegmans LPGA and qualified for only one major making just $90,707.
She had roughly the same kind of season in 2010, making slightly less money ($68,835) but finishing slightly higher on the money list, best finish was a tie for 14th at the Tres Marias Championship. Her status remained category 11 for the 2011 season.
2011 was a bit of a breakthrough season for Kim. She notched four top-tens during the year, including a tie for 5th at the State Farm Classic. She also shot her career best round at that tournament, a 64. In all, she made $262,055 finishing in the top-40 on the money list for the first time, and earned top status for 2012.
Has one top-10 finish this season, a tie for 10th at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup.