Hwang You-min enters top 30 ahead of LPGA debut

Hwang You-min, 22, set to join the LPGA Tour next season, has broken into the top 30 of the women’s world golf rankings, marking her first appearance in that tier since turning professional.

According to the women’s world golf rankings released Nov. 11, Hwang earned 148.92 points to move up to 29th, climbing four spots from 33rd a week earlier. She is the only player from the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour ranked inside the top 30.

Hwang had dropped to 56th earlier this year but began climbing rapidly with a series of strong performances starting in October. She won last month’s Lotte Championship on the LPGA Tour, which offers more ranking points than KLPGA events, and added another victory at the KLPGA season-ending Daebo Haus D Championship on Nov. 9.

At the top of the world rankings, Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and the United States’ Nelly Korda remained at Nos. 1 and 2, while Japan’s Miu Yamashita held the third spot. Among South Korean players, Kim Hyo-joo was the only one in the top 10 at No. 8. Kim Sei-young, who won the BMW Ladies Championship last month for the first time in five years, was ranked No. 11.

Before heading to the United States, Hwang will compete in the Wemix Championship, a two-day exhibition at Mauna Ocean Country Club in Gyeongju starting on Nov. 15. Her win at the Lotte Championship earned her a two-year LPGA Tour card, and she will begin training in the United States to adapt to her new environment.

Hwang will make her LPGA Tour debut at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the season opener in 2026. The event is limited to players who have won on the LPGA Tour in the previous two years. Even strong performances do not guarantee entry without a victory, but Hwang earned her spot with her Lotte Championship title, giving her the chance to debut on an elite stage.


김정훈 hun@donga.com