Ryu Hae-ran wins first major title at Women's PGA Championship
Ryu Hae-ran won her first major title at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship on Sunday, marking the biggest victory in her career and her fourth LPGA Tour title overall. She earned $1.95 million in prize money.
Ryu Hae-ran poses with a trophy after winning the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, on June 28.AP/YONHAP
Ryu Hae-ran won her first major title at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship — which featured the largest purse in the history of women's golf — on Sunday, marking the biggest victory of her career.
Ryu shot a two-under 70 in the final round at Hazeltine National Golf Club, a par-72 course measuring 6,807 yards in Chaska, Minnesota. She carded five birdies and three bogeys to finish at 13-under 275, two strokes ahead of fellow Korean Yoon I-na.
The victory earned Ryu her fourth LPGA Tour title and a winner's prize of $1.95 million.
This is the first major championship victory for the 25-year-old, who was named LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2023.
The Women's PGA Championship was the third major of the LPGA season. Nelly Korda of the United States won both the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open earlier this year.
Ryu became the first Korean to win a major since Yang Hee-young captured this tournament in 2024.
Hazeltine National Golf Club also holds special significance in Korean golf history.
The golf course is where Yang Yong-eun stunned Tiger Woods to win the 2009 PGA Championship and become the first Asian player to win a men's major championship while handing Woods his first loss when leading after 54 holes in a major.
Ryu added another memorable chapter at the same venue 17 years later by claiming her first major title.
She entered the final round with a one-shot lead but struggled to pull away on the front nine. She made three birdies and three bogeys to make the turn at even par, while Brooke Henderson of Canada, who began the day one stroke behind, also shot even on the front nine to remain within striking distance.
Ryu Hae-ran plays the eighth hole during the final round of the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, on June 28.AP/YONHAP
Ryu seized control on the back nine with a birdie on the par-four 10th hole. After finding the fairway with a 254-yard drive, she hit her approach from 180 yards to within close range of the pin before converting the birdie putt.
She added another birdie on the par-four 12th and played the remaining holes steadily. Henderson's bogey on the par-four 14th gave Ryu additional breathing room.
Dewi Weber of the Netherlands briefly closed within two shots with a birdie on the par-three 17th, but Ryu responded by holing a difficult par putt on the par-four 16th, after which she pumped her fist in celebration. She then safely parred the par-four 18th to secure the championship.
Yoon, who had led by six shots after the second round, was hurt by a third-round 75 that cost her three strokes. She rebounded with a two-under 70 in the final round to finish runner-up, the best major result of her career.
Kim Sei-young and Kim A-lim also finished tied for eighth on six under par.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
