Lead

World No. 3 Kim Hyo-joo will lead a 23-strong South Korean contingent at the 81st U.S. Women's Open, which begins Thursday at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, according to Yonhap News Agency. Kim, who has two LPGA titles this season, is among four players with multiple wins on tour in 2026.

The tournament, the second major of the LPGA season, features a field of 156 players. Kim is part of a group that includes four former U.S. Women's Open champions from South Korea: Chun In-gee, Park Sung-hyun, Lee Jeong-eun, and Kim A-lim. Former world No. 1 Shin Ji-yai, who now competes on the Japan LPGA Tour, and KLPGA standouts Yoo Hyun-jo, Ko Ji-won, and Kim Min-sol — all winners this season — will also tee off at the par-71, 6,699-yard course.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading wire service, provided the primary coverage of both the tournament preview and a recent LPGA team event. The reports emphasized Kim Hyo-joo's form and the depth of the South Korean contingent at the major.

In its preview, Yonhap highlighted Kim's standing as world No. 3 and her two wins this season, while noting that world No. 1 Nelly Korda has three victories and leads the Player of the Year points race. The same report detailed Kim's runner-up position in scoring average behind Korda.

A separate Yonhap report covered the Dow Championship, a team event held in Midland, Michigan, where Kim partnered with Choi Hye-jin. The duo finished second, two strokes behind the American team of Gina Kim and Yana Wilson, as reported by Yonhap. The report noted Choi's ongoing pursuit of her first LPGA victory.

Key Claims

  • Kim Hyo-joo is ranked world No. 3 and has won two LPGA tournaments this season, according to Yonhap.
  • Twenty-three South Korean players are in the 156-player field at the U.S. Women's Open, per Yonhap.
  • Nelly Korda, ranked world No. 1, has won three times this season and leads the Player of the Year standings, as reported by Yonhap.
  • Kim trails Korda in scoring average (68.15 to 68.92) and in Player of the Year points (79 to 159), according to Yonhap.
  • Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo finished second at the Dow Championship, which was contested at Midland Country Club in Michigan, as reported by Yonhap.
  • Choi is still seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, per Yonhap. She joined the tour in 2022 after winning 11 times in South Korea from 2017 to 2020.

Perspectives

Kim Hyo-joo's major ambitions: The preview underscores Kim's stated goal of winning her second career major, having captured the Evian Championship in 2014. Her consistent performance this season — two wins and a sixth-place finish at the Chevron Championship — positions her as a strong contender at Riviera.

The depth of South Korean golf: With 23 players in the field, including multiple major champions and rising KLPGA stars, the South Korean contingent is one of the largest and most accomplished at the U.S. Women's Open. This reflects the continued strength of women's golf in the country.

Choi Hye-jin's search for a first LPGA win: The Dow Championship result highlights Choi's near-miss as she and Kim Hyo-joo led heading into the final round but fell short. The report frames this as a step forward for Choi, who has not yet won on the LPGA Tour despite a successful career in Korea.

Nelly Korda's dominant season: Korda's three wins and runner-up finishes in her first six starts, along with her lead in scoring average and Player of the Year points, establish her as the benchmark against which Kim and others are measured this season. Kim's second-place standing in those statistical categories suggests a close rivalry at the top of the women's game.