Translation result
Twenty-three South Korean golfers will be in contention at the U.S. Women’s Open, the LPGA Tour’s second major of the 2026 season.
The 81st U.S. Women’s Open starts June 4 (local time) and runs four days at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California (par 71), with a 156-player field.
South Korea’s contingent includes 23 players led by world No. 3 Kim Hyo-joo, who has two wins this season. The entry list also features former U.S. Women’s Open champions In Gee Chun, Park Sung-hyun, Lee Jeong-eun and Kim A-rim; season winners Lee Mi-hyang and Choi Hye-jin; rookie Hwang Yu-min; and Im Jin-hee, Yang Hee-young, Yoon In-a, Kim Se-young, Ko Jin-young, Lee So-mi and Kang Min-ji.
Also competing are JLPGA veteran Shin Ji-ae; KLPGA regulars Yoo Hyun-jo, Hong Jeong-min, Kim Min-sol, Go Ji-won and Lee Da-yeon; plus amateurs Oh Soo-min and Lee Seung-hyun.
Kim Hyo-joo is the most likely Korean contender. She has two victories and four top-10 finishes this season and sits second to Nelly Korda in both CME Globe and Player of the Year standings. Kim’s only major title came at the 2014 Evian Championship, which she won as a non-member. Since joining the LPGA in 2015, she has nine career tour wins, including the Ford Championship in March, and she claimed last month’s NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship on the KLPGA.
Korean players have a strong U.S. Women’s Open history: Se-ri Park’s barefoot victory in 1998 was followed by Kim Joo-yeon in 2005; Inbee Park in 2008 and 2013; Ji Eun-hee in 2009; Yoo So-yeon in 2011; Choi Na-yeon in 2012; In Gee Chun in 2015; Park Sung-hyun in 2017; Lee Jeong-eun in 2019; and Kim A-rim in 2020. No Korean has won the event since Kim A-rim, and last year Choi Hye-jin produced the best Korean finish with a tie for fourth.
Another storyline is whether world No. 1 Nelly Korda — who has three wins this season, including the season-opening Chevron Championship — can win her second straight major. Korda has played seven events this year, collecting three victories, three runner-up finishes and a tie for eighth in the remaining event, underscoring her dominance.
Still, Korda will face stiff competition from world No. 2 Gino Titikun (Thailand), Kim Hyo-joo and a deep group of shotmakers.
The field also includes top-10 players Ruoning Yin (China), Hannah Green (Australia), Lottie Woad (England), Charley Hull (England), Miyu Yamashita (Japan), Minjee Lee (Australia) and Lydia Ko (New Zealand), all expected to be in the mix. Last year’s champion, Maja Stark of Sweden, returns to defend her title.
Oh Hak-yeol, golf reporter kungkung5@viva100.com
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