Kim Min-sol eyes 4th win, earnings lead at OK Savings Bank Utman Open

Kim Min-sol is setting her sights on reclaiming the KLPGA Tour's season earnings lead from same-age rival Seo Gyo-rim.

Kim is among 120 players competing for the title at the OK Savings Bank Utman Open — the tour's 22nd event of the season — which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($728,000), with a first-place prize of 180 million won. The tournament runs Friday through Sunday at Adonis Country Club (par 72) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The event traces its roots to the 2010 Rush & Cash Charity Classic, was rebranded the OK Savings Bank Park Se-ri Invitational from 2014 to 2022, then became the OK Financial Group Utman Open in 2023 before taking its current name in 2024.

Kim is by far the most closely watched player heading into the week. A rookie on the KLPGA Tour this season, she has won three times — starting with the iM Financial Open in April, followed by the Mercedes-Benz Korea Women's Open and the McCall Mona Yongpyong Open in June.

Kim's bid for a fourth title was narrowly denied last month when she lost to Seo in a playoff at the KLPGA Championship, finishing runner-up. That result handed Seo both the season earnings lead and the distinction of being the first player to reach four wins this season.

Kim skipped the previous KG Ladies Open to manage a back complaint and has been focused on arriving at this week's event in top form. However, a much-anticipated head-to-head between the two rivals — dubbed the "Rim-Sol showdown" by fans — will not materialize, as Seo has withdrawn with a left wrist injury.

Seo's absence opens the door for Kim to retake the earnings lead. Seo currently tops the money list with 1.32 billion won, while Kim sits second at 1.29 billion won — a gap of 35.14 million won.

With Seo out of the field, Kim is well positioned to move back to the top of the earnings standings. A victory would also make her the first rookie in KLPGA history to win four times in a debut season.

"Fatigue had been building as the tournaments kept coming, but I rested well last week and recovered nicely," Kim said. "My form and my feel for my shots are both in good shape. As an OK scholarship alumna, I really want to perform well here, but my goal is to stay focused on my own game and keep the momentum going."

Last year's champion Bang Shin-sil also signaled her intent to defend the title. Bang, who has one win this season, said she wants to enjoy the week rather than feel weighed down by expectations. "Playing as the defending champion, I want to approach it with a positive mindset and have fun out there," she said. "My ball-striking has been coming around over the past week, so I'll be focused on picking up a second win this season."

Also in the field is Shin Da-in, who successfully defended her title at the KG Ladies Open last week and is hoping to make it back-to-back victories.