SEOUL, October 05 (AJP) - Hwang You-min became the sixth South Korean player to win on the LPGA Tour this year, capturing her maiden title at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii on Saturday.
The 22-year-old clinched victory at the Hoakalei Country Club in Oahu with a final-round 5-under 67, finishing at 17-under 271 overall. The win immediately secures her LPGA Tour membership, though she has the option to defer it until the start of the 2026 season.
Hwang earned a winner’s purse of $450,000. She joined the tournament through a sponsor’s invitation from Lotte, her main backer.
Having joined the KLPGA Tour in 2023 and already won twice, Hwang had planned to enter the LPGA qualifying series later this year. However, a barrage of birdies in the final round broke her tie for second with compatriot Kim Hyo-joo and accelerated her plans for the LPGA stage.
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