Chaska: Ryu Hae-ran has captured her maiden LPGA major title. The 25-year-old South Korean won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship by two strokes over her countrywoman Yoon Ina at 13-under 275, after shooting a final round of two-under 70 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, on Sunday (local time). Ryu took home US$1.95 million in prize money.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ryu had a one-shot lead through 54 holes at 11-under. This was the third time in her career that Ryu had at least a share of the lead entering the final round of a major and the first time she successfully closed out the deal. On the two such previous occasions, at the 2024 and 2025 Chevron Championship, Ryu finished fifth and tied for sixth, respectively.
After the first round, Ryu was 10 strokes back of the leader, fellow South Korean Yoon Ina. Ryu is the first LPGA player to rally from 10 or more shots back after the opening round to win a major title. Ryu, 25, is the first South Korean to win an LPGA major since Amy Yang won this tournament two years ago.
Ryu, the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year, now has four career wins -- one in each of her first four LPGA seasons. She joined Lee Mi-hyang and Kim Hyo-joo as three South Korean players to win on the tour in 2026. Ryu, Yoon, and Brooke Henderson of Canada played in the final group, with the start of the round delayed by more than three hours due to a weather warning.
Ryu had an up-and-down front nine with three birdies and three bogeys that allowed her to make the turn at 11-under, one ahead of Henderson. Yoon started her final round with two straight birdies, but then a double bogey at the third hole brought her back down to nine-under, and she stayed there at the turn.
Ryu briefly fell behind Henderson after a bogey at the fifth dragged her down to nine-under before she bounced back with birdies at the seventh and the ninth. Ryu and Henderson both birdied the 10th, and then Ryu opened up a two-shot advantage, the largest lead of the day, when she birdied the 12th and Henderson settled for par.
Ryu's lead over Henderson grew to three strokes at the 14th, where Henderson missed the fairway off the tee and needed three more shots to reach the green en route to a bogey. Dewi Weber of the Netherlands, who was playing two groups ahead, and Yoon joined Henderson at 10-under, as the three tried to chase down the South Korean leader.
Ryu held steady, though, making par at the 15th to stay up by three over the pack. Weber moved into the sole possession of second place at 11-under with a birdie at the 17th, but Ryu drained a lengthy par putt on the 16th green to stay up by two shots with two holes to play. Henderson and Yoon didn't put much pressure on Ryu, who made another par at the 17th to take a two-shot lead into the final hole.
Just before Ryu teed off on the 18th, Weber made bogey on the final green to finish at 10-under, giving the South Korean leader more breathing room. Ryu then two-putted for par on the final hole, her sixth consecutive par to finish off her breakthrough major victory.
Yoon made birdie on the 18th to finish alone in second place, her best performance at a major. Yoon opened the tournament with a 63 but went 75-70 on the weekend.