(ATTN: UPDATES with latest ranking positions, more details)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) -- Stars from the top U.S. and domestic women's golf tours will converge for an LPGA Tour event in South Korea this week, with a hometown favorite looking to defend her title.
The LPGA Tour will bring its annual Asian swing to Haenam, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul in Jeonnam-Gwangju, for the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links. The 72-hole stroke-play tournament goes from Thursday to Sunday, with a total purse of US$2.35 million.
Kim Sei-young of South Korea kisses the trophy after winning the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, Jeonnam-Gwangju, on Oct. 19, 2025, in this file photo provided by the tournament organizing committee. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This will be the second straight edition of the tournament played in Haenam. Kim Sei-young, who is from the nearby town of Yeongam, won last year's tournament in front of dozens of friends and relatives to end a five-year LPGA title drought.
At No. 9 with 13 career LPGA wins, Kim has had a strong 2026 season with seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts -- a run that will surely improve with a second straight BMW title on home soil this week. No player has won consecutive BMW tournaments since its launch in 2019.
Kim is the third-highest ranked South Korean player in the field.
World No. 3 Ryu Hae-ran leads all South Korean players in the rankings and will also be the highest-ranked player at this tournament. The 25-year-old has had a breakout campaign this year by winning two major titles and notching eight other top-10 finishes.
Kim Hyo-joo, world No. 6, is also a two-time tour winner this year who has four other top-10 finishes. She will chase her career win No. 10, which would make her the sixth South Korean player to reach double figures in LPGA titles.
Two other South Korean players with big followings at home, Yoon Ina and Choi Hye-jin, will be in the field, too. Yoon, world No. 16, is a second-year LPGA pro seeking her first win. Choi nearly got her maiden title in Shanghai on Sunday in her 124th LPGA start before settling for a runner-up finish, but that performance saw her rise four spots in the world rankings to No. 23.
This week will also see 15 players from the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour, including its two best players this year -- Kim Min-sol and Seo Kyo-rim.
Ryu Hae-ran of South Korea tees off on the fifth hole during the final round of the FM Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts, on Aug. 30, 2026, in this Getty Images file photo. (Yonhap)
Kim, a 20-year-old rookie, is leading the tour in money and the Rookie of the Year points. Kim is also second in the Player of the Year points, behind Seo, who is in second place on the money list.
Seo has won four KLPGA tournaments this year to Kim's three. In the world rankings, Kim is the top KLPGA player at No. 15, with Seo checking in at No. 34.
Kim will travel to Haenam in better form, with five top-five finishes, including three runner-up showings, in her past nine tournaments. Seo, on the other hand, was forced to withdraw after the first round of her latest KLPGA event last week due to pains in her ribs.
In recognition of these South Korean-born stars, the tournament organizers will have an all-Korean pretournament press conference Wednesday, featuring Kim Sei-young, Ryu, Yoon, Choi, Kim Min-sol and Seo.
A nonmember who wins an LPGA tournament will earn eligibility for LPGA membership. That player can either accept her LPGA card immediately or defer it to the start of the following year.
Kim Min-sol of South Korea hits a shot during the final round of the McColㆍMona Yongpyong Open on the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour at Birch Hill Country Club in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, on June 28, 2026, in this file photo provided by the KLPGA Tour. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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