Kim Kaufman is always helping others. The 33-year-old former LPGA player and current member of the developmental Epson Tour volunteers her time with First Tee. She does the little things that can have a big impact, like thanking volunteers at golf tournaments. She even co-authored a book of golf fiction to help young golfers.
Now, Kaufman is the one who needs help. In December, she was diagnosed with Stage 2b breast cancer and had her first chemotherapy treatment last week. She’ll do four rounds, once every three weeks. Chemotherapy was needed after cancer was found in a lymph node, too. After that is a break and then radiation.
Kaufman has received help through conversations with survivors, tips from strangers, support groups and a fellow player who has assisted her with cold-capping treatments—a process to help maintain hair—in chemotherapy appointments.
“When you’re being helped, how do you express your gratitude enough?” Kaufman wondered. “I’ve had some people do some really amazing things and help me out at this time. How do you say thank you enough? It’s hard to be on the receiving end. I love to give a Christmas gift. I’m maybe receiving what I’ve given, which is awesome. But it can be hard. You want people to know how grateful you are.”
Her golf career, especially the mental approach to the game, is carrying over to her strength in the fight against cancer.
“My husband [Johan Wolkesson] and I talked about that quite a lot. I’ve played a long time and played the LPGA for seven years,” Kaufman said. “The last four to five years I played Epson. That was extremely difficult. You think it’s the end of the world losing your LPGA Tour card and going back to Epson. This kind of mirrors that. There are times I felt sorry for myself. Why me? Everyone else is having success. I’m working hard. I had to learn that’s part of my journey. If I don’t like it, go get a different job. I had choices. I feel this is so similar.
“You can sit around and say, ‘Why me? At the end of the day, I have [cancer], it’s part of my life journey, so let’s tackle it.’ It’s been super similar. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I went to the Epson Tour, to learn how to deal with this. It has mirrored my golf career almost picture perfect.”
Kaufman, who is from South Dakota and played golf at Texas Tech, is coming off one of her best seasons in a few years. She made 15 Epson cuts in 19 starts in 2024 and finished tied for second twice among five top-10 performances to earn $79,147. She also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster C.C. and tied for 58th. Her last full season on the LPGA tour was 2019, when she had two top-10 finishes. She’s trying to make her way back to the biggest stage, but cancer has slowed that comeback.
Through the difficult diagnosis, Kaufman has found support from her husband and family, fellow Epson Tour players, the golf world, people she doesn’t know, a private Facebook group for cancer patients and many others. When she posted about her diagnosis on Instagram on Dec. 3, the Epson Tour golfers showed up.
“The girls on the Epson Tour—and it’s no secret, most of them don’t have a lot of money in their bank account—sent gift cards, gifts being sent, they just rallied,” Kaufman said. “They said we want to help, let her know we’re thinking of her, get her puzzles to do when she’s bored, they just sent something every day. I was blown away.”
They’re now on a huge Kim supporter text chain. As of now she’s calling it the “Kim’s Cancer Club.”
Kim Kaufman (left) and Carrie Adams have bonded over their experiences with cancer.
Kaufman belongs to Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth—famed as Ben Hogan’s home course—and met fellow member Carrie Adams only recently because of her diagnosis. Kaufman is closer to the age of Adams’ daughter, who is in her late 20s, than Adams, who is 59. Adams has survived two cancer battles, including the first with triple negative breast cancer. It later spread to her lungs, and she was given 12-18 months to live in 2014. A decade ago, Adams is thriving.
A personal trainer at Shady Oaks connected them. Beforehand, Adams was told Kaufman is tough, strong and didn’t want a pity party.
“The minute I met her, we both ended up crying. It’s an emotional thing when you’re diagnosed with cancer, especially as young as she is,” Adams said. “It’s terrifying. It doesn’t matter how tough you are. You’re still human.”
In the fall, Kaufman’s doctor found a lump at her annual medical checkup, and she was advised to get a mammogram. After the Epson Tour Championship, she did. Then she needed a biopsy in November. And an ultrasound. She was going to play in the final stage of the LPGA Q-Series tournament in December after finishing 16th on the Epson Tour points list. Then came the call that she had cancer. She had to withdraw, and golf is on hold. Helping others is not. Sharing her story on social media and at Shady Oaks has impacted others.
“It’s kind of cliché, but if I share my story and one more person goes and gets checked and isn’t afraid to call their doctor, that’s worth it,” Kaufman said. “That’s fine. I’ll share. I am the poster child. I always went to the doctor every year, had it on my calendar. I like to be told everything is good and then move on with my life. But that didn’t happen this time.”
One golfer at her club who hadn’t been to the dermatologist in five years said she inspired him to make an appointment. A friend’s mom said a doctor told her to go get further tests recently, and she hadn’t. She will now.
Adams talked about how she and Kaufman are so different when it comes to sports. Adams doesn’t even golf; she doesn’t like to sweat or feel pain in workouts with her trainer. Kaufman’s career, by contrast, is all about athleticism. And yet, their small, intimate golf club has provided them with a new friendship.
“I have a great story I like to share with new diagnosed girls, especially if they’re advanced cancer,” Adams said. “Everyone can benefit from a positive outcome when it comes to cancer. Kind of a miracle. God has me here for a reason, and part of that reason is to help people.”
Kim Kaufman plays a bunker shot in the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Bruce Bennett
Adams said of Kaufman, “She’s got a great positive outlook and a good support system in place. I feel like she’s going to do really well and be another one of those people that gives back down the road.”
Recently retired golfer Angela Stanford, who lost her mother to cancer and is also from Fort Worth, was immediately at Kaufman’s house upon learning of her diagnosis, cleaning and bringing food and other supplies. She’s also the person who is the designated helper for cold capping, with the cap that needs to be changed every 25 minutes. They’re good friends, and Stanford is the one who convinced Kaufman to move from Florida to Texas.
“I told her if she doesn’t do a good job, she’ll have to shave her head with me, so she’s pretty motivated,” Kaufman said jokingly.
Kaufman hopes she can play golf again near the end of the 2025 season, targeting August if all goes well. She could apply for a medical exemption. She’s not sure yet, but all that can wait.
“I’m going to make sure I’m ready, healthy and have the stamina,” Kaufman said. “I one hundred percent plan to play again. Will it be this year? It’s probably 50-50.”
Her calendar is now filled with appointments, fun things and charitable events instead of golf tournaments.
Adams invited Kaufman and her husband to sit at her table for a fundraiser later this month for the Joan Katz Cancer Resource Center in Texas. Adams invited all cancer survivors to fill her table and thought they’d be a good resource for Kaufman.
“She’ll have so many different ways she can give back through golf, whether fundraising tournaments or awareness or just her story,” Adams said. “These are God winks from cancer. Me getting to know Kim, it’s amazing. Friends for life.”