While playing the World Wide Technology Championship in early November last year, a frantic call from his wife, Sally, had Chan Kim flying from Cabo San Lucas to Phoenix. The reason, you may ask? Sally needed an emergency C-section, but he missed the cut and arrived too late. Jenna had already been born, weighing about 10 pounds, with more than 2 pounds of hydrops fetalis, a condition that causes fluid to build up in a newborn’s tissues and organs. Doctors gave her a 30% chance of survival.

Five months later, Jenna Kim is home and healthy. The Korn Ferry Tour shared the update this week, and people in the golf world have been responding ever since.

“It’s about to be five months. She is growing very quickly. All of her health problems are a lot better. She’s 96th percentile in height and weight, so everything’s looking pretty good,” Kim began by sharing the update everyone wanted to hear.

Jenna’s progress matters because of how she was born. She spent nearly a month in the NICU at St. Joseph’s hospital before coming home in mid-December 2025.

“Very emotional the first two weeks. Doctors didn’t know if she was going to survive, which in turn just put us under a lot of stress. But every day we’re getting better news, and her labs are coming back great,” he added.

Kim is not the only professional golfer to face this situation. In July 2023, Brooks Koepka’s son, Crew, was born six weeks early and spent 20 days in the NICU after an emergency C-section. The 35-year-old returned to golf within a week.

Marco Penge’s second son, Romeo, was born on February 24, 2026, and spent 21 days in the NICU before coming home just before Penge played the Valspar Championship. These situations are difficult to manage, and Kim has experienced them firsthand.

He finished T22 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and T41 at the RSM Classic, which gave him enough points for the final stage of Q-School. The day after Jenna came home, he shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 at TPC Sawgrass. He put it simply: he needed to earn money for his family. He secured his Korn Ferry Tour card. Jenna’s condition kept getting better.

The situation this week is still unclear. Kim explained the challenge directly, speaking from experience.

“I’m in a very tough situation. This week, I just found out I’m first out for San Antonio. I’m already here in Sarasota getting ready to tee it up in two days. If I do get in, I will most likely fly over,” he said. “The worst thing is if you’re first out, you travel, you don’t get in, and you won’t make it back in time to play here.

“Then it’s a double whammy where you miss out on both events. Hopefully, I get in by the end of the day, and I’ll be on a plane to San Antonio. But if not, at least I know I’ll have a spot here to play. So yeah, I’m just waiting for updates pretty much.”

With the good news comes a tournament dilemma that adds to the week’s story. Kim is the first alternate at the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio, where a $9.8 million prize is up for grabs starting Thursday. He is also preparing for the LECOM Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, which runs over the same four days. Two tournaments, one week, and a decision that is not completely his to make.

Those who have followed this situation from the start have continued to pay attention.

Golf world reacts as Chan Kim’s daughter Jenna beats the odds

Chan Kim played through the most difficult period of his career, balancing the pressure of keeping his card with the reality of his daughter in the NICU. When news came that Jenna was home and healthy, support came quickly.

The first responses were from those who had followed every update, expressing relief and gratitude.

“Let’s goo! May God continue to bless,” wrote one fan, while another added, “God is good, my friend.”

“Love hearing this,” echoed another fan.

As per an Instagram post from the 36-year-old, shared three weeks ago, Caribbean Birdies sent him a custom golf head cover featuring pictures of his daughter, along with the messages “keep smiling” and “keep fighting.” He said it served as a reminder that there is more to life than golf and that she is healthy and growing up fast.

Others who knew Kim personally responded as well, their messages reflecting genuine familiarity: “He is amazing!! I’ve been his personal banker on a few occasions, and he is such a great person. A huge congratulations to him and his beautiful wife!!”

“Wishing you and your family the best! She’s perfect! Congrats!” wrote another.

These reactions are not about on-course achievements. They come from knowing Kim beyond the scorecard.

Kim is ranked 278 in the world and continues to work on the Korn Ferry Tour, where progress is measured by making cuts and steady earnings.

The main change is that Jenna is home. Everything else is secondary.