Teen rookie eyes breakthrough on KLPGA Tour

It took Lee Se-young just 158 days to advance from associate member to securing a full seed on the main tour. The 19-year-old rookie has completed a rapid ascent and now stands poised to reshape the competitive landscape of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour.

The KLPGA Tour will launch its 2026 season on March 12 at Amata Spring Country Club, a par-72 layout in Chonburi, Thailand, with the Rejuran Championship. While the season opener signals a fresh start for many players, it holds special meaning for Lee. She is set to compete on the stage she once watched only on television as a child, imagining that she might one day stand among the professionals.

In a recent interview, Lee said the KLPGA Tour once felt like an unattainable world. She remembered quietly hoping that she could someday earn a place there. After receiving several sponsor invitations and experiencing the cheers of galleries up close, that hope hardened into determination.

Her outlook is grounded in more than anticipation. Lee says her ball-striking is as sharp as it has ever been since she first picked up a club. After finishing 10th at the associate member qualifying tournament in June last year to turn professional, she required only five months to secure her place on the top-tier tour.

She began competing on the Jump Tour, the third-tier circuit, in July and captured her first title in September, which earned her full membership. Carrying that momentum into November, she advanced to the final stage of the seed ranking tournament and finished fourth with a four-round total of 11-under 277. With a top-20 finish needed to claim a full seed, Lee cleared the bar with room to spare.

Lee said that after claiming her first victory in September and regaining confidence in her swing, she felt she could enter the qualifiers without lingering doubts if she simply maintained her form. Instead of overhauling her technique, she committed to faithfully repeating the training routine she had followed in preparation for the Jump Tour, trusting consistency over experimentation.

In the lead-up to the new season, Lee added another dimension to her game during two months of intensive winter training in New Zealand. Known for her power off the tee, she can drive the ball as far as 273 yards, about 250 meters, frequently setting up wedge approaches into greens.

While training overseas, she devoted particular attention to sharpening her wedge play. Her length typically leaves her with roughly 80 meters on par-5 holes and about 120 meters on par-4s, distances she considers prime scoring opportunities. To turn those chances into birdies, she worked on fine-tuning spin control and dialing in precise yardages. She also practiced long putts from beyond 10 meters, aiming to save birdie opportunities even when her wedge shots are not perfectly struck.

Lee’s objective for the season is clear and measured. Rather than chasing the rookie of the year award, she hopes to produce shots she can take pride in at every tournament. In her view, if the process remains sound, results will take care of themselves.

There is, however, one stage where she quietly dreams of capturing her first title. Lee began playing golf at age 8 and later spent eight years training in Jeju, where much of her development took place. Because the island shaped her game, she hopes her maiden victory will come there. With a smile, she noted that blue is her favorite color and that she would most like to raise the trophy at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters, a tournament that represents the place where she honed her skills.


김정훈 기자 hun@donga.com