Kim Hyo-joo eyes third straight title at Aramco Korea Championship on home turf

Familiar New Korea CC course a key advantage; four wins this season fuel confidence ahead of BMW Ladies too

Kim Hyo-joo tees off on the 14th hole during the second round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, on Saturday (Korean Standard Time). [AFP]

Kim Hyo-joo will look to win the Ladies European Tour Aramco Korea Championship for the third consecutive year on familiar home ground.

The 2026 Aramco Korea Championship runs for four days starting Thursday at New Korea Country Club (par 72) in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The purse is $2 million.

Kim was the inaugural champion when the tournament was first held in South Korea in 2024, pulling away from Charley Hull of England by three strokes in a wire-to-wire victory. She successfully defended her title the following year.

In last year's edition, Kim held a one-stroke lead after the second round and, despite a late charge from Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland in the final round, carded a 3-under-par 69 to claim back-to-back titles. A win this week would give her three consecutive championships without ever relinquishing the top spot since the tournament came to South Korea.

The format has changed this year. The team competition that ran alongside the individual event in previous years has been dropped, with the winner now determined by 72-hole individual stroke play over four rounds. A field of 108 players will compete, with the top 60 and ties after the second round advancing to the weekend.

Kim arrives in strong form. Ranked fourth in the world, she has won four times this season — the Founders Cup and the Ford Championship on the LPGA Tour in the United States, and the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship on the KLPGA Tour in May and the Lotte Open in July at home — splitting her schedule between South Korea and the US.

Danielle Kang (from left), Kim Hyo-joo and Park Sung-hyun pose at a photo call for the Aramco Korea Championship at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, last May. [Newsis]

New Korea Country Club is a particularly comfortable venue for Kim. The tournament is being held at the course for the third straight year, and Kim also plays there regularly with friends when she is back in South Korea. Her deep familiarity with the layout could prove another advantage in her bid for a third title.

The competition will be stiff. The field includes Yamashita Miyu of Japan, ranked fifth in the world, along with Alison Lee of the United States and Carlota Ciganda of Spain. Korean fan favorites Park Sung-hyun, Lee Jeong-eun6 and Lee Dong-eun are also in the field.

The Aramco Korea Championship kicks off an autumn Asia swing for Kim. After the tournament, she is scheduled to compete in the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea before heading to Japan for the Toto Japan Classic.

All rounds will be broadcast live on Spotv Golf Plus and Spotv Now Golf.

yjc@heraldcorp.com