- South Korean fan favourite officially joins the field for October 8–11 showdown; from a seven-year-old’s chance detour past a driving range to chasing an unprecedented domestic dynasty
Two-time defending champion and major winner, Hyo Joo Kim, has officially confirmed her entry for the 2026 Aramco Korea Championship as part of the PIF Global Series, returning to New Korea Country Club from October 8–11 with her sights set on an unprecedented third consecutive victory on home soil.
Sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET), the $2M tournament will see South Korea’s benchmark ball-striker headline an elite international and domestic field. Kim remains the only champion in the event’s history, having captured the inaugural 2024 crown by three strokes over England’s Charley Hull, before mounting a clinical final-round 69 (-3) in 2025 to fend off Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and secure her milestone 25th professional victory.
Now, Kim returns to New Korea Country Club, aiming to achieve what no player has ever managed across the PIF Global Series: a clean sweep of three consecutive titles at the same venue.
“Returning to New Korea Country Club is always special, but playing in front of home fans brings an entirely different level of energy,” said Hyo Joo Kim. “I am incredibly excited to be back competing at home and looking forward to giving the fans a great show.”
“New Korea Country Club demands precision, consistency, and patience—qualities I take pride in bringing to every round,” Kim added. “Defending that title last year was truly unforgettable, and heading into this year, the goal is clear: give everything to make it three in a row. The energy from the home crowd gives me an incredible lift, and I can’t wait to get back out there.”
Kim’s pursuit of history at the Aramco Korea Championship is the latest chapter in a career defined by natural genius and relentless grit.
Her journey didn’t begin at an elite golf academy. As a seven-year-old walking the streets of Wonju with her father, she was on her way to sign up for a local Taekwondo academy. When they strolled past an indoor driving range, the sharp crack of iron meeting golf ball caught her ear. Intrigued, she asked if she could hit just one ball. She flushed her first swing, and never stepped foot inside a martial arts dojo again.
The prodigy’s effortless tempo quickly became tour lore. Fellow former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko famously recalls crossing paths with Kim as a fifth grader in 2006: “I was grinding my heart out just to break 92 over 18 holes, and Hyo Joo was out there casually shooting a 78. She was playing an entirely different sport from the rest of us.”
By the time Kim stepped onto the global stage at the 2014 Evian Championship, she broke records by opening her first-ever major round with an untouchable 61 (-10) and went on to win the championship.
While television cameras capture a stoic figure shielded behind dark sunglasses, Kim’s mental strategy is famously minimalist: “Just don’t think and enjoy the round.” She routinely avoids counting her score or studying leaderboards during tournament play, trusting her instincts and rhythm instead. Inside the players’ lounge, however, peers know her as the bubbly storyteller and resident prankster who constantly keeps the field laughing during practice rounds.
Behind that relaxed charisma is a fiercely conditioned athlete. When modern golf demanded greater distance, Kim committed to brutal gym sessions, squatting and leg-pressing up to 240 kg until she outgrew her entire tournament wardrobe in a single season. Even today, while competitors rest, Kim can be found banging out sets of strict pull-ups to maintain the core rotational power that unlocked an extra 15 yards off the tee.
That blend of explosive power and surgical iron play makes New Korea Country Club’s tight, tree-lined routing a tailor-made test for Kim. While domestic pressure can overwhelm many stars, Kim thrives on the decibels. Her official fan club, Shooting Star (슈팅스타), will once again line the fairways in New Korea Country Club, providing the heartbeat for her title defense.
She will be joined by a remarkable contingent of South Korea’s finest, including major champions and crowd favourites Sung Hyun Park (SHP) and Jeongeun Lee6 (LJ6), setting up a high-stakes clash of domestic icons.
Adding major international star power is an accomplished roster of Golf Saudi ambassadors, headlined by prominent Korean-American LPGA standouts Danielle Kang and Alison Lee, who will both be competing in front of passionate local galleries.
They will square off against an imposing global challenge featuring Spanish Solheim Cup hero Carlota Ciganda, Germany’s Olivia Cowan, long-hitting Dutch star Anne van Dam, and Norwegian veteran Marianne Skarpnord.
The Aramco Korea Championship is staged with the support of Golf Saudi, a partner of the Ladies European Tour since 2020, whose backing runs across the Tour’s season.
Golf Saudi’s support is rooted in growing the game at home. More than 15,000 people in Saudi Arabia have signed up for golf lessons, and over 4,000 are on the waiting list; more than a third of them are women. Golf Saudi is expanding academies and coaching with the ambition of growing from around 4,500 active golfers today to more than 30,000 within five years. Weeks like the one in Korea are where the players at the top of that pathway compete.
Tickets for the Aramco Korea Championship can be reserved online through HERE.
