Lead

South Korean golfers head into this week's KPMG Women's PGA Championship hoping to end a two-year drought in LPGA majors, as the country's domestic tour confirmed that its negotiations with the LPGA over a co-sanctioned event on home soil have fallen through.

The KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the third major of the season, begins Thursday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. The 156-player field will compete for a $13 million purse, the largest in women's golf history, as reported by Yonhap News.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News, South Korea's leading wire service, covered the story from two distinct angles. One report focused on the breakdown of talks between the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and the LPGA over the BMW Ladies Championship, scheduled for October in Haenam, South Korea. The other report previewed the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, emphasizing South Korea's strong tradition in LPGA majors and the players' determination to snap a winless streak.

Both articles were published separately, days apart, and together paint a picture of a pivotal moment for Korean women's golf: a domestic scheduling clash with an international major opportunity, and a push to reclaim glory on the global stage.

Key Claims

KLPGA-LPGA Negotiations Collapse

The KLPGA said in a statement that the BMW Ladies Championship, the only U.S. LPGA event held in South Korea each fall, will not be co-sanctioned with the South Korean circuit. According to Yonhap, the LPGA declined to accept the KLPGA's proposal of having at least 30 homegrown players in the 78-player field.

The KLPGA said it met with LPGA officials 16 times over eight months and insisted that a minimum of 30 KLPGA players was necessary for co-sanctioning. The LPGA countered with an offer of only 10 spots, and the sides could not reach a compromise, as reported by Yonhap.

The KLPGA indicated it was willing to make concessions on schedule, operations, and broadcasting, but not on the player quota. "Considering the improved quality and competitiveness of the KLPGA Tour, having at least 30 players at the LPGA event is the bare minimum for us, not something to be negotiated," the KLPGA said in its statement, according to Yonhap.

The 2019 and 2021 editions of the BMW Ladies Championship featured 30 KLPGA players, with the 2020 event canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yonhap noted.

The KLPGA also said it will hold its own tournament during the same week as the BMW Ladies Championship, presumably to avoid a scheduling conflict for its members.

South Korea's Major Drought

South Korea has not gone two straight years without an LPGA major champion since the turn of the century, but the country was shut out at all five majors in 2025 and did not produce a winner at the first two majors of 2026, according to Yonhap. American star Nelly Korda won both the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open this season.

The 21-strong South Korean contingent at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship includes Kim Hyo-joo, the highest-ranked player from the country at No. 3, and Kim Sei-young, ranked 10th in the world.

Kim Hyo-joo has won twice this season and ranks second to Korda in Player of the Year standings and scoring average, Yonhap reported. She won the 2014 Evian Championship and will chase her second career major title.

Kim Sei-young's lone major title came at the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

Choi Hye-jin, ranked 17th, is in pursuit of her first LPGA win. She and Kim Hyo-joo finished second at the Dow Championship on June 14, Choi's 114th career start, according to Yonhap. With career earnings approaching $7 million, Choi has made the most money without a victory in LPGA history.

Former champion Chun In-gee, who won in 2022, has emerged from a slump and finished fourth at the U.S. Women's Open on June 7, her best performance at a major in recent years, Yonhap reported.