Kim Hyo-joo moves into top 10 in women’s world golf rankings

Kim Hyo-joo reentered the top 10 rankings of women professional golfers by grabbing her fifth career LPGA win on Saturday with the win at the Lotte Championship.

According to the rankings released on Tuesday, Kim has moved up seven notches on women’s world golf rankings, from 13th to sixth. Kim regained a place in the world’s top 10 in three months since she was positioned at eleventh on January 25 this year. Kim Hyo-joo’s ranking is the second-best among South Korean golfers, following Ko Jin-young who has been staying World No. 1 for 12 weeks in a row. Park In-bee’s ranking dropped from sixth to ninth, and Kim Se-young dropped from ninth to 10th. While raising the odds for a top-5 finish, Kim Hyo-joo has almost caught up with Lee Min-jee, an Australian golfer who is currently at No. 5.

Having returned to South Korea on Monday, Kim will compete in the Chris F&C 44th KLPGA Championship, the first major competition of this season, which will begin on April 28 at Ildoing Lake Golf Club in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Kim, having a total of 14 domestic tour wins, won the 2014 Korea Women’s Open, KB Financial Star Championship (2014, 2020) and Hite Jinro Championship (2014). She also had a victory in 2014 at the Hanwha Financial Classic, before it became a leading major golf tournament in Korea. To achieve a career grand slam, Kim must win the KLPGA Championship and claim the top spot in the Hanwha Financial Classic. Lee Jeong-eun and Kim A-rim, who are currently on the U.S. tournament, will compete in the KLPGA Championship.

Park Ji-young, who won the inaugural Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship on the KLPGA Tour, rose to 92 from 129.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com