Players bracing for windy week at LPGA tournament on seaside Korean course
Kim Hyo-joo of Korea speaks at a press conference ahead of the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA Tour at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of the organizing committee for the BMW Ladies Championship
With the LPGA Tour making its annual stop in Korea on a seaside course this week, the tournament's top names said Wednesday they must be able to handle windy conditions.
The BMW Ladies Championship will begin Thursday at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Jeolla Province. The par-72 course is known for having several greens and tee boxes sitting along the beach and atop seaside cliffs.
Some showers are expected for Thursday and Saturday, but Kim Hyo-joo, the top-ranked Korean player at No. 8, said wind will be more of a factor.
"I've practiced here for a couple of days, and I had to deal with strong gusts of wind on holes near the ocean," Kim said at a joint press conference at the course, alongside fellow Korean players Ryu Hae-ran, Kim A-lim and Yoon Ina, defending champion Hannah Green, and the Japanese rookie sensation Miyu Yamashita.
"I heard we will face some blustery conditions on the weekend, so I will have to be ready," Kim Hyo-joo added.
"Kim won the Ford Championship in March and has had two runner-up finishes in her past five starts, including at the Lotte Championship last weekend in Hawaii.
"I've had some close calls and just missed out on victories, but I've been maintaining strong form," the 30-year-old said. "Now that we're playing in Korea, I want to win the tournament more than ever."
The LPGA Tour went the first 26 tournaments of this season without seeing a multiple champion until world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul won in Shanghai on Sunday.
"We used to have dominant players on the tour, but I think there is more parity," Kim offered. "I think wins often depend on luck."
Ryu Hae-ran, winner of the Black Desert Championship in May, said she isn't a great wind player because her shots tend to have high trajectories but added, "I will try to stay calm and patient."
Kim A-lim of Korea speaks at a press conference ahead of the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA Tour at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of the tournament organizing committee
Kim A-lim, who won the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in February, said she has been trying to hit low shots in practices to better compete in windy conditions.
Green said she isn't too happy with the state of her game, as she has had only three top-10 finishes in 16 starts in 2025, after three times in 2024. She missed four consecutive cuts at one point in the summer.
"My golf game hasn't been quite where I would like it to be. The last few months has been probably the hardest time I've had in my career," the Australian said. "I feel like one week I putt well, and the next week I don't. Or one week, I hit driver good, and the next week I don't. It's been very challenging."
She said she went back to Australia to reset over the last three weeks and she is looking forward to a chance to defend her title in Korea.
"It's a really beautiful golf course. We're right on the ocean," she said. "I think the wind will be the most difficult thing, as it can be quite gusty, and I've seen on the forecast that Sunday has very strong winds. I played earlier today, and I think the gusts were up to 30 kilometers, and I think it's going to be double that on Sunday. So hopefully, everyone is safe in those conditions and hopefully make lots of birdies this week, too."
Yamashita, who won her first career major at the AIG Women's Open in August and leads the Rookie of the Year points race, said Pine Beach is similar to Japanese courses she has seen over the years.
"The course and conditions are great. Everything is really well maintained and so actually feels a bit like playing in Japan," she said. "I've been getting good vibes out there, and since it's my first time playing this event, I want to do my best to enjoy it and to compete."
Yoon, a former Korea LPGA star in the midst of an up-and-down LPGA rookie campaign, said she hopes to have her LPGA breakthrough on her home soil this week.
"I have not met my own expectations, but I consider this a great opportunity for me to grow," she said. "Even if I don't get my win right away, I will keep plugging away."
There will be no cut for the 78 players in the field, and they will vie for the $2.3 million purse. The champion will take home $345,000.