Imagine being at the top of your game, then suddenly having your world flipped upside down. That was October 16, 2024, for Kim Kaufman. The 34-year-old golfer was focused on her Epson Tour season and working toward her LPGA Tour card when she got the news: breast cancer. It felt “awful,” Kim recalled. “I would say it to people, like, oh, I have breast cancer, and I felt like I was saying a foreign word.” In that moment, everything changed for her, but things are here to change.

After surgery in November 2024, chemotherapy from January to April 2025, and radiation finishing in June, Kim faced the toughest challenge of her life. But giving up was never an option. By 2025, cancer-free, golfer Kim worked hard enough during her summer training and prepared for a comeback. And then, boom!

In October 2025, she competed in the second stage of the LPGA Q-Series at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. There, she tied for 29th to advance by two shots. This result secured her spot in the Final Stage, the same stage she had to withdraw from last year after her diagnosis.

“I came in with the goal of committing to every shot, really focusing on the process, not getting caught up in the leaderboard and the scores, and honestly, I had not looked at a leaderboard until we were on the 18th green here…Did that well, and I think it paid off,” she said. With her comeback confirmed, the ultimate challenge awaits in December.

The Final Stage begins December 4, 2025, in Mobile, Alabama. There, Kim will compete for LPGA Tour cards for 2026. But the competition won’t be easy. Among those advancing are Mirabel Ting, who co-medaled with Japan’s Kokona Sakurai at 14 under par. Sakurai, a five-time Japan LPGA winner, also secured her spot. Other top performers include Malia Nam, Kendall Todd, Emma Spitz, Anna Nordfors, as well as Canadians Leah John and Brooke Rivers.

Although the full field for the Final Stage hasn’t been confirmed yet, Kim Kaufman will join a strong group of competitors. In addition, all of these players will be vying for just 25 LPGA Tour cards for the 2026 season. As a result, every shot and every round will be crucial. But let’s be honest, the golfer is winning off-field as well!

 34-year-old Kim Kaufman fights for women’s health

Since Kaufman’s cancer diagnosis, she has turned her personal battle into a platform for health advocacy for women. Just weeks after learning about her breast cancer, she began urging girls to get full health checkups, saying, “If I get one girl to go to their yearly [exam], that’s worth it. As corny as I used to think that sounds sometimes. Everyone I’ve told, I’m like, ‘Do you go? Do you go?”

Kim’s advocacy was to encourage women under 40 to prioritize preventive care. But the golfer’s efforts go beyond words. At the 2025 Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship, Kim partnered with the event sponsor to make health a priority for Epson Tour players.

She helped organize complimentary breast exams, skin-cancer checks, and cardiovascular screenings for all participants. Many of these players come from countries where preventive healthcare is not a regular practice. Kim wanted to ensure that everyone had access to these important services while at the tournament.

Kim also collaborated with the “Play For Her” fundraiser to support oncological research for a breast cancer vaccine. In recognition of her work, Kaufman received the Heather Wilbur Spirit Award. Now cancer-free, the golfer continues her mission to help young women avoid what she had to endure.