Amanda Balionis & More Send Support as LPGA Major Champ Sinks to New Career Low

Danielle Kang broke her silence with a line that felt equal parts confession and declaration. On Instagram, she wrote: “I officially see why people keep playing the game of golf simply sucking at it. Pure love of the game. That’s where I’m now proudly at for the first time 🙂 To all those that continue to root for me; my team and everyone else, know that you guys got me to come back to the golf course. That itself is a win. Thank you.” For a six-time LPGA champion, it was not about the scorecard or trophies anymore, but about rediscovering why she plays at all.

The 2025 season has been among the hardest of her career. She missed cut after cut in the opening stretch. In June’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, her scores ballooned into the eighties as she fell well outside the weekend field. She could only make three cuts, with finishes of T62, T68, and a T54. By August, the ledger showed eight missed cuts, one withdrawal, and just over $16,000 in earnings, a contrast to her past seasons of consistency and titles.

However, big names and familiar allies showed their support. Lydia Ko, whose own career has swung between world number one heights and rebuilding stretches, liked the post. So did Jessica Korda, long a rival and friend on tour, and CBS broadcaster Amanda Balionis, who has built her career amplifying the game’s quieter, human stories. Each click of the heart was a small act, but together they formed a chorus: competitors, colleagues, and storytellers who know the grind and wanted Kang to feel less alone in it.

For instance, after teaming up at the 2025 Dow Championship, Lydia Ko reminded the golf world what true support looks like. Her message after their missed cut wasn’t about the disappointment, but about the bond they shared, “Gutted not about MC’ing the cut … but more that my time with my sis @daniellekang was cut short! Whether it’s one day, one week or more, there’s no one else I’d rather do it with! I’m so proud of us… Love you ❤️.” That perspective reframed the narrative, showing that for Kang, the journey is not defined by a single scorecard, but by the respect and solidarity of peers who recognize her resilience and value her presence far beyond the leaderboard.

Moreover, Kang is not an unproven player trying to find her footing; she is one of the LPGA’s most established names. Since turning professional in 2011, she has captured six LPGA titles, including the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a victory that placed her firmly among the game’s elite. She has also recorded more than 50 career top-ten finishes and earned over $9 million in prize money, proof of a career built on consistency and flashes of brilliance on the biggest stages. When those credentials are set against her 2025 season: a handful of made cuts, and earnings that barely register compared to her peak, the contrast is jarring.

For the fans, the message landed just as sharply. Kang’s words were echoed by weekend players who admitted they, too, “sucked at it” but kept playing because of that same irrational joy. Her post became a bridge between the grind of a pro schedule and the frustration of an amateur round. And in a season where the results have not reflected her talent, that shared recognition may be the truest win she has secured.

Fans show support for Danielle Kang

While the visible support from her peers carried weight, it was the flood of fan responses that gave Danielle Kang’s words their truest echo. Many of those fans have followed Kang’s journey well beyond scorecards: from her battle with a spinal tumor diagnosed in 2022 to her ongoing fight to stay competitive despite lingering health setbacks. That history gave her Instagram post extra resonance, and messages poured in from golfers of every level thanking her for voicing what they themselves had felt: that golf can be humbling, frustrating, even cruel, yet still worth playing for the sheer love of it.

The comments under her post captured that sentiment in raw, unfiltered ways. “Once a champion always a champion. When the going gets tough the tough get going. Keep working. You’ll get there,” wrote one fan, a reminder that her legacy cannot be erased by a single season. Another added, “Huge respect for you! You’re a fighter and I know you’re gonna come back all the way!!” Fans know Kang’s story goes well beyond golf: she faced a spinal tumor in 2022. She recovered from it in early 2023, but left her struggling as she needed to regain her neurological function. Her return to the tour after surgery showed that her battle isn’t just with the scorecard, it’s with fate. To fans, calling her a “fighter” is both literal and heartfelt.

One fan pushed back against her own self-deprecating humor about “sucking” at golf. “You look fantastic. There is no way you suck at golf!!!! Believe!!!!!! You are a star!!!!!” That kind of applause from fans isn’t just empty sentiment—it reflects Kang’s real pedigree. A two-time U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, she proved early on she had the talent to go far. Those who followed her junior career understand that even if 2025 hasn’t gone her way, calling her a star is less hyperbole than recognition.

Another reassured her with optimism for the future: “You will be back winning on the LPGA soon girl. 😍😍” And perhaps the most heartfelt came from those who reminded Kang that her presence mattered as much as her performance: “We love you… 👏👏👏 … we believe … sending birdies!” With fans filling her comments with belief, peers like Lydia Ko and Jessica Korda lending their support, and voices like Amanda Balionis amplifying her story, Kang’s message became bigger than golf.