US, local tour stars to converge for LPGA event in S. Korea

Stars from the top U.S. and domestic women's golf tours will converge for an LPGA Tour event in South Korea this week, with a hometown favorite looking to defend her title. The LPGA Tour will bring its annual Asian swing to Haenam, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul in Jeonnam-Gwangju, for the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links. The 72-hole stroke-play tournament goes from Thursday to Sunday, with a total purse of $2.35 million. This will be the second straight edition of the tournament played in Haenam. Kim Sei-young, who is from the nearby town of Yeongam, won last year's tournament in front of dozens of friends and relatives to end a five-year LPGA title drought. At No. 9 with 13 career LPGA wins, Kim has had a strong 2026 season with seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts -- a run that will surely improve with a second straight BMW title on home soil this week. No player has won consecutive BMW tournaments since its launch in 2019. Kim is the third-highest ranked South Korean player in the field. World No. 3 Ryu Hae-ran leads all South Korean players in the rankings and will