LPGA Tour - 2026 BMW Ladies Championship: An Overview of the Korea Stop

The LPGA Tour’s BMW Ladies Championship will be held October 22–25, 2026, at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam-gun, South Korea. It marks the seventh edition of the tournament and the second stop on the LPGA Tour’s Asian Fall Tour. The tournament will feature 72 holes with no cut, with 84 players competing for a prize purse of $2.35 million. The defending champion is Sei Young Kim, who won in 2025, ending a five-year winless streak on the LPGA Tour. In addition to the trophy, the field is competing for important points toward the season standings.

Here you’ll find the tee times and live scoring for the LPGA Tour’s BMW Ladies Championship.

Pine Beach Golf Links: Two courses, long Par-5s, and coastal holes

The course consists of the front nine of the Pine Course and the back nine of the Beach Course and runs along the coast for long stretches. It is a Par-72 course measuring approximately 6,203 meters. The holes are divided into four par-3s, ten par-4s, and four par-5s. The par-3s range from 126 to 187 meters, the par-4s from 341 to 379 meters, and the par-5s from 448 to 509 meters. The longest hole is No. 2 at 509 meters, and the shortest is No. 8 at 126 meters.

The Par-5s define the layout. Hole 2 requires a long drive over 500 meters and a precise approach shot. Hole 17 is described by the organizer as a winding fairway that starts out narrow but gradually opens up. The par-3s on holes 13 and 15 are also hole-in-one holes with car prizes: a BMW i7 awaits on hole 13, and a BMW iX3 on hole 15. In the tournament’s history, four players have so far secured a hole-in-one car. Sei Young Kim holds or shares the tournament records for 18, 36, 54, and 72 holes.

The Favorites: Ryu, Woad, Kim, and the Top Korean Players

Hae-Ran Ryu is ranked No. 3 in the world according to the Rolex Rankings and is the most prominent player in the field. This year, she won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship. She’s returning after a break since the FM Championship in August. In 2025, she tied for 45th place in Haenam. Lottie Woad is ranked No. 7 in the world. She finished tied for 24th in her debut at the 2025 BMW Ladies Championship. This year, she has recorded six top-10 finishes and won the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Hyo Joo Kim is ranked No. 5 in the Rolex Rankings. She won the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship in 2026 and has six top-10 finishes. In 2022, she finished third in Haenam. Minjee Lee (No. 17 in the Rolex Rankings) won the tournament in 2023 and is one of two former champions in the field. Mi Hyang Lee won the Blue Bay LPGA this year. Her best finish in Haenam was 41st place in 2023.

Esther Henseleit is an Olympic silver medalist and Solheim Cup champion and the only German competitor. She finished second at the 2026 AIG Women’s Open and fourth at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open. Speaking to the main sponsor, BMW, about the tournament, she said: “I always look forward to competing in the BMW Ladies Championship. The organization, setup, and quality of the tournament are excellent—just as we’ve come to expect from BMW in golf for decades.”

Defending champion Sei Young Kim: A home game with record-breaking performances

Sei Young Kim won in 2025 with a score of 24 under Par and is now defending her title in South Korea. She is ranked 9th in the Rolex Rankings and has recorded seven top-10 finishes in 2026. Speaking to BMW about the tournament, she said: “Winning the BMW Ladies Championship in my home country was a wonderful feeling that I’d love to experience again. I’ll give it my all, even though the competition at this event is incredibly strong.”

Prize Money, Points, and Sporting Significance

The total prize money is $2.35 million, with the winner receiving $350,000. The tournament is particularly important for the Rookie of the Year standings: Erika Hara leads by 144 points over Youmin Hwang, and a victory is worth up to 150 points. With 15 players from the KLPGA Tour and five Koreans among the top 16 in the Rolex Rankings, the tournament also has a strong local flavor.

Storylines and Outlook

The battle for Rookie of the Year between Hara and Hwang begins on Thursday with a group round that also includes Gaby Lopez. For Seoah Kim, who is competing as an amateur on a sponsor’s invitation, this is her first tournament on the LPGA Tour. The main questions are whether Haeran Ryu can deliver another strong performance in Haenam after two major wins this year and whether Sei Young Kim can defend her title.