Hwang Yu-min eyes major title, Olympics after defending Lotte Championship crown

"I still think of myself as being in the process of adapting," she said.

A year after winning in Hawaii to earn her LPGA Tour card, Hwang Yu-min returns to the same stage — this time as the defending champion.

Hwang will tee it up at the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship, which runs Thursday through Sunday at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

Although she lifted the LPGA trophy last year, this is officially her rookie season on tour. She entered the 2025 edition as an invitee and rallied to win at 17-under-par 271. That victory earned her LPGA Tour membership without having to go through Q-Series, but she deferred her membership to the 2026 season.

"This is my first time spending a full season as an LPGA Tour member, so I consider myself a rookie," Hwang said. "I'm in the process of learning — experiencing new courses and environments at every tournament and competing alongside world-class players."

Her first full season got off to a promising start with a tie for fifth in the season opener, though she has had her ups and downs since. Through 19 events, she has made 12 cuts and recorded one top-10 finish, and she sits second in Rookie of the Year points. Last week she tied for 22nd at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, sharpening her competitive edge heading into the Lotte Championship.

The toughest part of life on tour, she said, has been the relentless travel and the demands of self-management. "After traveling, I have to fit in golf practice, workouts and enough rest — all within the time available," she said. "I haven't quite found my own most efficient way to balance those three things yet."

In difficult moments, Lotte Golf team sunbae Kim Hyo-joo has been a steadying presence. "When I was struggling mentally because my ball-striking was off, Hyo-joo unni reached out first — she listened to my worries and told me I could lean on her anytime," Hwang said. "When I have a junior player of my own someday, I want to be the kind of sunbae she has been to me."

Her ambitions on the world stage are equally clear: to showcase the aggressive play and energy that define her game, win a major championship, and represent South Korea at the Olympics.

"I want to be a player that fans look at and say, 'Hwang Yu-min's rounds are fun to watch' or 'She really loves golf,'" she said. "One of my biggest goals is to win a major. And if I look a little further down the road, I want to compete at the Olympics representing Korea."

To younger players dreaming of making the LPGA Tour, she offered this advice: "I want to tell them not to be afraid and to go for it. The experience you gain from competing directly against the best players in the world is invaluable. Ultimately, there are so many things you can only understand by going through it yourself."