Yuri Yoshida won the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea at 17-under 271 on 25 October 2026, the LPGA reported. The Japanese golfer finished one stroke clear of Haeran Ryu and Hye-Jin Choi for her first LPGA Tour title.
Yoshida's final-round surge at Pine Beach
Yoshida began Sunday four strokes behind overnight leader Ryu at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam. An eagle on the second hole and three successive birdies took Yoshida to the turn in 31, according to the LPGA's 25 October report. A birdie on the penultimate hole then gave Yoshida enough room to survive a bogey at the last. The lead was settled in regulation play after both contenders dropped a shot at the finish.
SportsRivo calculation from the LPGA's 25 October final-round scores: Ryu's 73 minus Yoshida's 68 equals a 5-stroke difference between their Sunday rounds. Yoshida's faster start was decisive because Ryu had carried a four-stroke lead into the final day. The LPGA account says Ryu opened with a long sequence of pars before a late bogey loosened her hold on the tournament.
Choi remained in contention throughout Sunday and closed with a 69, the LPGA's 25 October report says. That put Choi level with Ryu, one stroke behind Yoshida, rather than alone in the runner-up position. The official results list both South Korean golfers as joint second and Yoshida as the sole champion.
A breakthrough after success in Japan
Yoshida already had four victories on Japan's JLPGA Tour before winning on the LPGA Tour. The LPGA's 26 October recap says she secured tour status through Q-Series and had a runner-up finish at the CPKC Women's Open during this campaign. The South Korea result gives her an LPGA title after that earlier runner-up finish.
Japanese golfer Yuri Yoshida told the LPGA in its 26 October recap, “It’s a special moment for me, and actually, I was nervous.” Yoshida's reaction followed a closing stretch of matching birdies and bogeys by the leaders. Yoshida's earlier scoring had left her with the winning margin despite that final mistake.
What the result changes
- Yoshida is the first Japanese winner of the BMW Ladies Championship and the first player to earn a maiden LPGA Tour title at this event, according to the LPGA's 26 October recap. The same account places her among the season's first-time LPGA winners.
- The LPGA's official 2026 results credit Yoshida with $352,500 in prize money and 500 points.
- Ryu's second place gave her another top-ten finish this season, while Choi recorded a second straight runner-up result, the LPGA's 26 October recap says. Both finished one stroke behind Yoshida after entering the final round in contention.
The tour's next stop in Malaysia
The LPGA's schedule places the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur from 29 October to 1 November 2026. Its event page names Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club as the venue. The South Korea result is complete; the Malaysia tournament is the next scheduled stop on the tour's Asian swing.
Source: LPGA