Ga-Young Kim

1983-01-13 Birthdate

KOR Country

World Champion

Biography

Born in Seoul, South Korea (Jan. 13, 1983), Ga Young Kim began her career as a three-cushion player but switched to 9-ball at 16 and made her first professional international appearance in 2003 at the BCA Open in Las Vegas.

She began playing regularly on the Women’s Professional Billiards Association Classic Tour and captured the WPBA U.S. Open Championship in 2004. Later that year, Kim defeated Taiwan’s Shin Mei Liu in the title match to win the WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championship.

After a year’s absence, the WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championship returned in 2006, and Kim successfully defended her title, again stopping Liu in the title match. Two years later, Kim was runner-up in the event to Taiwan’s Yuan Chun Lin. Kim also won the Amway Cup 9-Ball Open in 2006.

Kim was one of the leading players in the WPBA for nearly a decade, winning the WPBA U.S. Open four times (2004, ’09, ’10, ’16) and adding seven WPBA Classic Tour titles. She also captured the Tournament of Champions title six times.

Kim finished the year as the top-ranked player in the WPBA in 2014 and 2015. And for a decade (2007-2016), Kim was ranked in the WPBA top five, finishing the year ranked second on six five occasions. She was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year in 2004 and 2015.

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