-joo Kim (28, Lotte)바카라, who did not participate in the top rankers such as Lydia High, turned professional in October 2012 and became the 6th player in Korea Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) history in 2014 to win the grand prize, most wins, prize money, and 1st in average at bats . He achieved the crown and was leveled. Driven by that momentum, she made a splendid debut on the world stage by winning the 2014 Evian Championship, a major event on the LPGA Tour, in which she competed as a non-member. Kim Hyo-joo, who moved to the LPGA tour from 2015, has won five times in her career.
Kim Hyo-joo has won a total of 19 wins, including 14 wins in the KLPGA and 5 wins in the LPGA, and has won more than two championships in three competitions, but has never succeeded in ‘defending a title’ by winning one competition for two consecutive years.
This year, Kim Hyo-joo will attempt to defend her first title on the LPGA tour with a clear upward trend. Kim Hyo-joo will participate in the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money of 2 million dollars) held at Hoakalay Country Club (par 72) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii for four days from the 13th. For Kim Hyo-joo, who won this competition last year, it is a title defense match. Kim Hyo-joo, who tied for 10th in the LPGA Thailand in 2023 and tied for 8th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March, tied for 3rd at the DIO Implant LA Open, which ended on the 4th. The top 10 entry rate is 100%. Kim Hyo-joo is the only player with a 100% top-10 entry rate among players who have played more than two tournaments on the LPGA tour this season.
The stable performance of Hyo-joo Kim is thanks to the power of his long-term iron shot. Kim Hyo-joo’s green hit rate this season is 79.2%, ranking fourth overall. Thanks to his sophisticated iron shots, his at-bats average is 68.5, also ranked 6th.
Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Nellie Corda (USA), Ko Jin-young (28, Solaire), Ataya Titikun (Thailand), Lee Min-ji (Australia), Lexi Thompson (USA), and other top ranked players in the world ranked 1st to 6th. It seems that the fact that he did not participate in this tournament will work as a good news for Kim Hyo-joo. They are absent in preparation for the Chevron Championship, the first major tournament of the season that opens on the 21st.
Hyo-joo Kim, ranked 9th in the world, is competing for the title with two consecutive victories at the Lotte Championship (2018, 2019) and Brook Henderson (Canada), who won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the opening match of this season, and winner of the Drive-On Championship. Celine Boutier (France), ranked 8th, is considered.
Among Korean players, Jeon In-ji (29, KB Financial Group), Choi Hye-jin (24, Lotte), and rookie Yoo Hae-ran (22, Daol Financial Group), who successfully made a soft landing on the LPGA, are aiming for their first win this season. Seong Yu-jin (23, Hanwha Q Cells) and Hwang Yu-min (20, Lotte), who play on the KLPGA tour, also participated, and a total of 16 Korean players entered the competition.