Haenam: The LPGA Tour will make its annual stop in South Korea this week, with a scenic course on the country's southern coast hosting major champions and homegrown stars over four days.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the sixth edition of the BMW Ladies Championship will start Thursday at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, approximately 330 kilometers south of Seoul in South Jeolla Province. The tournament will feature 78 players competing for a $2.3 million purse, with the champion set to take home $345,000. Notably, there will be no cut in this 72-hole competition.
This marks the first time the event is being held at Pine Beach Golf Links, renowned for its greens and tee boxes nestled along the beach and perched atop seaside cliffs. The course is considered one of the best in South Korea due to its picturesque setting and challenging sloping fairways and bunkers.
The LPGA and BMW Korea have previously rotated the tournament's location around the country. After the southeastern port city of Busan hosted the first two editions in 2019 and 2021, the 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition then moved to Wonju in 2022 and Paju for the subsequent two years.
In its history, the tournament has seen South Korean players like Jang Hana and Ko Jin-young claim victories in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Minjee Lee of Australia, both of Korean descent, won in 2022 and 2023. Last year, Australian Hannah Green claimed her first victory in South Korea and is returning this week in hopes of becoming the first repeat champion. She will be joined by fellow former champions Lee and Ko Jin-young.
Lee, the current KPMG Women's PGA Championship winner, is among four players with a major title this season, alongside U.S. Women's Open champion Maja Stark, Amundi Evian Championship winner Grace Kim, and AIG Women's Open champion Miyu Yamashita.
The South Korean contingent, apart from Ko Jin-young, ranked world No. 18 with two major titles, will include Kim Hyo-joo, the top-ranked South Korean player at No. 8; Ryu Hae-ran, world No. 12 and the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year; and Kim A-lim, the 2020 U.S. Women's Open champion. Kim Hyo-joo, Kim A-lim, and Ryu have all secured LPGA victories this season, while Ko will be aiming for her first title since May 2023.