Yoo Hae-ran, who started the final round with a four-stroke lead, finished as the runner-up at the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship held in South Korea, with a total prize purse of $2.35 million.
On October 25, at the Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, Jeonnam, Yoo shot a 1-over par 73 in the final round, recording one birdie and two bogeys.
With a total score of 16-under par 272, Yoo tied for second place with Choi Hye-jin, finishing just one stroke behind Japan's Yuri Yoshida, who won with a score of 17-under par 271.
Yoo, aiming for her third win of the LPGA Tour season, struggled in the rainy final round. Her iron shots were inconsistent, and her tee shot accuracy declined. While trying to maintain pars, she ultimately lost her lead to Yoshida, who made an eagle on the second hole (par 5) and followed it with three consecutive birdies from the fifth hole (par 4) to the seventh hole (par 4).
The competition for the title continued until the end. Yoo missed birdie putts from around 2 meters on the 13th hole (par 3) and the 14th hole (par 4). On the 15th hole (par 3), her tee shot went toward a penalty area but fortuitously hit a rock and landed on the green. After making par on that hole, she tied for the lead with Yoshida, who made a bogey.
However, on the 16th hole (par 4), Yoo's tee shot went into the right penalty area, and she missed a 2-meter par putt, falling one stroke behind. On the 17th hole (par 5), Yoshida made a birdie, extending her lead to two strokes. Yoo responded by hitting her shot from the right bunker to within 80 centimeters of the hole for a birdie, narrowing the gap to one stroke.
The decisive moment came on the 18th hole (par 4). After Yoshida made a three-putt bogey, she and Yoo were tied again. However, Yoo's tee shot went toward a mound next to the left cart path, and her second shot landed in the left bunker. After getting her ball onto the green with her third shot, Yoo made a two-putt bogey, conceding the victory.
Choi Hye-jin also made a strong late charge. With four birdies and one bogey, she finished three strokes under par and joined the title race. On the final 18th hole, she had a birdie putt from about 3 meters that, if made, could have forced a playoff, but her ball narrowly missed the hole, resulting in a par. This marked her second consecutive runner-up finish, following last week's Buick LPGA Shanghai, and her sixth career runner-up finish on the tour.
Yoshida's victory marked her first win since debuting on the LPGA Tour in 2024, earning her a prize of $352,500 (approximately 467 million won).
Although Korean players missed out on the title, many made strong showings on the leaderboard.
Kim Hyo-joo, who has two wins on the LPGA Tour this season, and Kim Min-sol, who leads in KLPGA Tour earnings and rookie points, both finished tied for fourth with a total score of 15-under par 273.
Kim Min-sun finished in solo 10th place with a total score of 13-under par 275, while Park Min-ji tied for 11th with a score of 12-under par 276.
Amateur player Kim Seo-ah, a middle school student, performed well, finishing tied for 34th with a total score of 6-under par 282.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.