In 1986, Ok Hee Ku earned status on the LPGA Tour for 1987 with a tie for 10th finish at Q School. Ku later became the first player from the Republic of Korea to win on the LPGA Tour at the 1988 Standard Register Turquoise Classic. It would be 10 years later that Se Ri Pak, who owns the record for most Tour wins total by a Korean-born player with 25, would break onto the scene as the first Korean player to win a major championship at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Over 33 years later from Ku’s initial win, the BMW Ladies Championship could be the scene of yet another significant win on the LPGA Tour – the 200th by a player from Korea. There have been 48 different players that have won the first 199, with 19 players winning 34 major championship titles. Of the 48 players, 29 have won at least twice. Heading into Sunday in Busan, there are seven Korean players in or within eight strokes of the lead, with all hoping to achieve legendary success in their home country at LPGA International Busan.
“I think for anybody to be able to round off that number, it would be an honor. And it is true that there is a lot of interest in the 200th Korean player to win a LPGA Tour event in Korea. And having so many Korean players doing well right now, I think the chances are high,” said 54-hole leader Hee Jeong Lim. “I think that the Korean players tomorrow may especially have to work hard.”
Players from the Korea have made their mark on Tour over the past three decades and continue to do so. Below are additional fast facts on Korean wins on the LPGA Tour:
- Korean wins by decade:
- 1986-1989: 1 (Ok Hee Hu)
- 1990-1999: 12
- 2000-2009: 71
- 2010-2019: 103
- 2020-present: 12
- 2006: 50th win by a Korean-born player - Ju Mi Kim, SBS Open at Turtle Bay
- 2012: 100th win by a Korean player – So Yeon Ryu, Marathon LPGA Classic
- 2017: 150th win by a Korean player – Amy Yang, Honda LPGA Thailand
- 2019: 30th major win by a Korean player – Jeongeun Lee6
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