KLPGA, LPGA stars converge for BMW Ladies Championship

Top players from the KLPGA Tour and the LPGA Tour will compete for the title in Haenam-gun, South Jeolla Province.

The BMW Ladies Championship tees off Thursday at Pine Beach Golf Links (par 72) in Haenam-gun, South Jeolla Province, running four days. The only LPGA Tour event held in South Korea, it carries a purse of $2.35 million, with a winner's share of $352,500, and draws a field of 84 players.

This year, 15 KLPGA Tour players will compete for the first time in five years. The two tours signed an MOU granting spots to top earners on the domestic money list. The field consists of 68 LPGA Tour players, 15 KLPGA Tour players and one invited player.

Leading the domestic contingent are money-list leader Kim Min-sol and second-ranked Seo Gyo-rim. Kim has three wins this season and has finished in the top five five times in her last nine events, including three runner-up finishes; she also leads the rookie-of-the-year points standings. Seo holds the top spot in the player-of-the-year points race with four wins this season but faces a fitness question after withdrawing from the Iceberg Golf-Seoul Shinmun Open last week following the first round with rib pain.

Also representing the domestic tour are Kim Min-sun, Yoo Hyun-jo, Choi Ye-rim, Jang Eun-su, Lee Da-yeon, Bang Shin-sil, Lee Ye-won, Kim Min-ju, Park Bo-gyeom, Park Min-ji, Jeon Ye-seong, Yoo Seo-yeon and Park Hye-jun.

On the LPGA Tour side, defending champion Kim Sei-young will bid to become the first player to win the event back-to-back. Last year, Kim led wire-to-wire across all four rounds, posting a tournament-record 24-under-par 264.

She has yet to win this season but has recorded seven top-10 finishes in 17 events and sits ninth in the CME Globe points standings.

Whether Korean players can reach seven LPGA Tour wins this season is another storyline to watch. Ryu Hae-ran, who claimed two majors this year — the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the Evian Championship — and Kim Hyo-joo, with two LPGA Tour wins this season, are both chasing additional titles.

Ryu added the Hite Jinro Championship on the KLPGA Tour on Oct. 5 to bring her total to three major victories across both tours this year. She currently ranks among the leaders in the Vare Trophy race for lowest scoring average, sitting at 69.54 strokes per round.

Nelly Korda of the United States leads the scoring average at 69.38 but will not play this week and is not expected to reach the 70-round minimum required to qualify for the Vare Trophy. That leaves Ryu in contention with Miyu Yamashita of Japan (69.64) and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand (69.81) for the award. Neither Yamashita nor Thitikul will compete this week either.

Choi Hye-jin, who finished runner-up at the preceding Buick LPGA Shanghai, will also look to claim her first LPGA Tour win on home soil. Since making her debut on the US circuit in 2022, Choi has finished runner-up five times without a victory. Yang Hee-young, who finished third at that same event, is also in the field.

Among international players, world No. 7 Lottie Woad of England, Celine Boutier of France, the Iwai Aki-Jiji sisters, Minami Katsu and Nasa Hataoka of Japan are all set to compete.

Pine Beach Golf Links combines the front nine of the Pine Course with the back nine of the Beach Course. Situated along the coast, strong winds are expected to be a significant factor, and several holes along coastal cliffs as well as undulating greens will add to the challenge.

This year's event will be played as a 72-hole stroke play competition with no cut. Starting next year, the KLPGA Tour allocation will expand to 30 players, the overall field will grow to 108, and a cut will be introduced.