Kim Min-sol crowned KLPGA's new queen, first rookie triple crown in 20 years

Kim Min-sol, who fell short of the Rookie of the Year title last season, has emerged as the KLPGA Tour's new queen. By sweeping the Player of the Year award, the money title and the Rookie of the Year award, Kim became the first player since Shin Ji-ae in 2006 to claim all three honors as a rookie.

Kim closed out the season finale, the Daebo House D Championship at Seowonn Hills West and South Course (par 72) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday with a bogey-free, five-birdie round of 5-under-par 67. She finished at a total score of 8-under-par 208, good for a tie for sixth place.

Heading into the final event, Kim trailed Seo Gyo-rim by 38 points in the Player of the Year standings. She added 42 points to finish with 567, edging Seo — who tied for 52nd with 563 points — by just four points to claim the award. Kim also topped the money list with season earnings of 1.63 billion won ($1.21 million), becoming the first player in KLPGA Tour history to surpass the 1.6 billion won mark in a single season.

Luck played a part alongside talent in Kim's triple crown. Last season she competed on the Dream Tour before joining the regular tour, where she won twice, but appeared in only 15 events — falling short of the 50 percent of total tournaments required to qualify for the Rookie of the Year award. Under tour regulations, she was granted another chance to compete for the title this year. She turned that unusual two-season eligibility window into a triple crown.

Her fiercest rival throughout the season was Seo Gyo-rim, born the same year in 2006. The two players split four victories evenly — two apiece — across four tournaments held in June, cementing a rivalry that captivated fans. Supporters even coined a nickname for their head-to-head battle: "Sol-Rim Daejeon," a play on both players' names.

What carried Kim through the tight race to the finish was consistency. She recorded three wins, four runner-up finishes and two third-place results this year, and made the cut in all 25 tournaments she entered. She steadily improved her ball-striking after an unsteady start to the season and shored up her short game along the way.

Seo, meanwhile, slowed late in the season due to pain in her right rib. She won four times to claim the most victories title but ceded the Player of the Year award and the money title to Kim. "Regardless of the results, we both worked hard all year — particularly in the second half, I think we were both under a lot of stress," Kim said. "We agreed to have a meal together after the season, and I'm looking forward to catching up then."

Kim gave herself a perfect score of 100 for her season. "There were plenty of shortcomings, but I also received a lot of gifts in the form of victories, and good things came out of situations I hadn't even planned for," she said. On matching a record that had stood for 20 years since Shin Ji-ae, Kim said: "It's an honor just to be following the path that Shin Ji-ae walked. I want to be a player who stays healthy and consistently performs well."

Kim's sights are now set on the international stage. She plans to enter overseas major championships next year whenever the opportunity arises. While this season was about gaining experience and making cuts, her goal for next year is to grow further and compete near the top of the leaderboard.