MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine men's golf head coach Michael Beard has announced the signing of Georgia Tech transfer Carson Kim ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Kim, a native of Yorba Linda, California, arrives in Malibu following two strong seasons at Georgia Tech, where he earned ACC All-Academic Team honors in 2024 and finished 38th at the 2025 NCAA Championship with the Yellow Jackets.
Kim played in 12 events during his sophomore 2024-25 season, posting a 72.86 stroke average over 37 rounds. He tied for 18th at the NCAA Auburn Regional, 38th at the NCAA Championship, and finished 10th at The Ford Collegiate. That prior summer, he posted positive results on the amateur circuit, earning a top-10 finish at the Trans-Mississippi Amateur and a top-25 finish at the Monroe Invitational in New York.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Kim competed in 12 of Georgia Tech's 13 events and posted a 73.41 scoring average. He earned match play victories at both the NCAA Championship and East Lake Cup, as he eventually landed in 67th at NCAAs. His steady play and effort in the classroom for the Yellow Jackets as a freshman earned him ACC All-Academic Team recognition.
Prior to his collegiate career, Kim was a Rolex Junior All-American and Rolex Scholastic All-American while being ranked as high as No. 3 by Junior Golf Scoreboard, No. 6 by Golfweek, and No. 9 by AJGA. He represented the United States in the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup, where he won all three matches, and competed in events such as the Wyndham Cup, Junior Invitational at Sage Valley (11th place), and the Junior PLAYERS Championship (fourth place). He also earned top-five finishes at the Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation Junior Championship and Jack Burke Jr. Invitational in 2022.
As a high school student at Sunny Hills High School, he graduated with a 4.67 GPA, was an AP Scholar with Distinction, and earned numerous academic accolades including the Rotary Top 100 and Servite President's Scholarship Award.
Kim joins a Pepperdine program that won the 2021 NCAA Championship, has made 14 NCAA Championship appearances, and is the reigning WCC champion, as the Waves continue to rank among the nation's elite under head coach Michael Beard.
