Kim Cathrein-Silva

Kim Cathrein-Silva is the second woman golfer to be inducted into the Salinas Valley Sports Hall of Fame. She hit her first golf ball at the age of 8, not far from here–when this location was a golf course.

Throughout high school, Kim was a standout golfer on the North Salinas boys’ team and the first to win the NCGA/CIF Girls Title twice. As a high school senior in 1985, she was runner up at the California Women’s State Amateur Tournament, held at Pebble Beach.

From high school, she received a full-ride scholarship to play for the USC Trojans. During her freshman year, Kim finished 17th individually and helped her team to place 3rd at the 1986 NCAA Championships. In her senior season in 1990, she earned all PAC-10 honors.

Upon graduating from USC Kim turned professional in 1990 and began playing on the California mini tours. In 1991 she was successful at her first qualifying attempt to compete on the 1992 LPGA tour. She would play professionally a total of 7 years and competed two more seasons on the LPGA along with European and Asian tours. She qualified for two US Women’s Opens in 1992 and 1993. In 1993 at Crooked Stick Golf Club she was even par after two days and was in the afternoon leader groups. That will always stand out as the highlight of her professional career as she made a 60ft birdie putt on the 18th hole in front of a full grandstand. She had experienced the “roar” of the crowd and felt complete.

At the conclusion of her tour career in 1996, Kim began the process of becoming an LPGA Class A instructor. Today, she uses that certification to teach, while also serving at the women’s golf coach at Sierra College in Rocklin. Kim is also a member of the Sierra College Athletic Hall of Fame as the coach of its 2016 Cal State Golf Championship team.