Kim Min-sol, Seo Gyo-rim battle for 4th win at BC Card·Hankyung KLPGA Championship

The BC Card·Hankyung 48th KLPGA Championship — the second major of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour season — tees off Thursday at Pocheon Hills Country Club (par 72) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The tournament, also the tour's 20th event of the season, draws 123 players competing over four rounds for a purse of 1.5 billion won ($1.06 million).

The KLPGA Championship dates to the association's founding in 1978. This year it is co-hosted by the Korea Economic Daily and BC Card under the name BC Card·Hankyung KLPGA Championship.

Attention centers on Kim Min-sol and Seo Gyo-rim — both born in 2006 and established as the tour's dominant duo this season — as each arrives with three wins and a fourth title on the line.

"Super rookie" Kim seized the early lead in individual season honors by winning the iM Financial Open in April, the Mercedes-Benz Korea Women's Open in June and the McColl·Mona Yongpyong Open. Seo answered by taking the Celltrion Queens Masters and the Inca Financial The Heaven Masters in June, then clinching her third title last week at the Mediheal·Korea Ilbo Championship to draw level.

Kim leads the season money list at 1.12 billion won, with Seo second at 1.02 billion won. In player-of-the-year points, Seo holds first place with 390 points to Kim's 353. With a winner's check of 270 million won and an elevated points allocation, this major could prove decisive in both races — whichever player finishes higher stands to gain a significant edge in the individual title standings.

Kim recorded her first tour victory at last year's BC Card·Hankyung Ladies Cup, held at the same course. "The KLPGA Championship is a major that represents the entire tour, so a win here carries special meaning," she said. "Pocheon Hills holds good memories for me, and I plan to go all out with confidence and challenge for the title."

Seo, who also leads the tour in scoring average at 70.2974 strokes per round, said she wants to carry the momentum from last week. "My ball-striking and short game felt sharp last week, and I want to keep that going," she said. "If I can stay composed on the trickier tee-shot holes, I think a second consecutive win is within reach. I'll bring my best golf and go for it."

Defending champion Hong Jeong-min returns looking to go back-to-back after withdrawing from last week's Mediheal·Korea Ilbo Championship with back pain, while Park Hyun-kyung seeks a third career title at this event, having won in 2020 and 2021.

Other top-ranked players with one win apiece this season — Kim Min-sun, Yoo Hyun-jo and Bang Shin-sil — are also in the field, adding further depth to the competition.

Park Min-ji, who shares the all-time KLPGA record with 20 career victories, could set the record outright with a win here and would also complete a sweep of all four tour majors. She has previously won the Korea Women's Open (2021), the KB Financial Group Star Championship (2022) and the Hite Jinro Championship (2022).

Pocheon Hills Country Club has stretched the course by more than 200 yards compared to last year's BC Card·Hankyung Ladies Cup setup and has also adjusted fairway widths and rough conditions to sharpen the challenge befitting a major — factors that could prove pivotal in the outcome.