Women’s Golf Adds Transfer Katelyn Kong Ahead of 2026-27 Season
6/9/2026 6:15:00 PM | Women's Golf
MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine women's golf head coach Laurie Gibbs has announced the signing of transfer Katelyn Kong from UC Irvine ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Kong will join the Waves as a junior this fall, having spent her first two collegiate seasons at UC Irvine in the Big West.
"Katelyn is an excellent addition to our 2026-27 roster," said head coach Laurie Gibbs. "Her experience playing at the highest level of amateur and professional golf will be a great addition to our team next year. She is a complete student-athlete that excels both in the classroom and on the golf course. We look forward to the next two years with Katelyn contributing to our team's success."
Kong placed top-30 in all eight tournaments that she competed in during the 2025-26 season for the Anteaters. This included four straight top-10 finishes spanning from the fall into the spring. She posted a fourth-place finish at the Molly Collegiate Invitational in September and a fifth-place showing at the San Diego State Classic.
Kong received All-Big West Second Team honors following the season, after leading Irvine with a 72.75 scoring average across 24 rounds. Kong was also named Big West Golfer of the Month for October with top-10 finishes in both tournaments during the month.
She recorded a pair of top-10 finishes during her freshman season in 2024-25, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational. She posted five top-20 finishes as well, tying for 11th at the Big West Championship while leading the Anteaters with a 73.15 scoring average on the season. Kong received All-Big West Honorable Mention following her debut collegiate season.
"I chose Pepperdine because the Malibu location is hard to beat—ocean views and great weather make a huge difference," said Kong. "The coaches and facilities also provide the players with an incredible support system, focused on helping them succeed as a student-athlete. Pepperdine just feels like the perfect balance of working hard and enjoying where you are."
Her amateur career features a victory at the California Women's Amateur in July 2025 at Santa Ana Country Club. Kong also qualified and competed in the U.S. Women's Open this past week at Riviera, marking the second straight year that she's been in the field for the LPGA major. She also competed in the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April.
Kong was a quarterfinalist at the 2025 US Girls' Junior Championship and advanced to Round of 16 at 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur. Kong's WAGR currently sits at 167, with a high of 51.
Her junior career featured multiple top-five finishes in the Toyota Tour Cup (TTC) and a victory at the FCG Las Vegas Championship. She was third in both the TTC at Mission Hills North and TTC Max Home Invitational at Oak Valley in 2024. The year prior, she was the runner-up at the TTC at Redhawk and the Players Tour 2-Day Summer Series.
Kong rounds out the Pepperdine roster for the 2026-27 campaign, as the Waves are coming off a T-5th finish at the NCAA Championship after claiming the program's 22nd West Coast Conference Championship.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S GOLF
Pepperdine women's golf has consistently been one of the top collegiate programs in the country under head coach Laurie Gibbs, exemplified by the current streak of 27 straight seasons with an NCAA Regional appearance. Having advanced to the NCAA Championships on 15 of those occasions, the Waves also boast 22 WCC Championships since 1998. Since the year 2000, 18 athletes have garnered All-American honors with a total of 36 selections.
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ABOUT SVN2 INDOOR GOLF
The Pepperdine women's golf 2025-26 season is sponsored by SVN2 Golf. SVN2 Golf is a Southern California based premium indoor golf simulation experience that uses advanced TrackMan technology to provide realistic gameplay, instant swing feedback, and practice tools for golfers of all levels. The facility offers a high-tech, immersive experience with a wide variety of legendary and exclusive courses, a relaxed, self-service environment, and opportunities for leagues and events. Facilities in Newbury Park and Malibu were joined in 2025 by new venues in Woodland Hills and Santa Clarita. For more information, visit www.svn2golf.com.
