Kim Hyoju Takes Third in Season Debut as Tittikkun Wins by One Shot

Kim Hyoju finished in the top three in her first tournament of the year.

On the 22nd, at the Siam Country Club Old Course (par 72, 6,649 yards) in Chonburi, Thailand, she carded a 4-under-par 68 in the final round of the Honda LPGA Thailand, the second event of the 2026 LPGA Tour season with a total purse of 1.8 million dollars, to place third at 22-under-par 266. Kim did not play in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, which ended on the 1st.

Kim Hyoju is teeing off in the fourth round of the Honda LPGA Thailand. Photo by AFP Yonhap News, Pattaya.

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Kim started the day in second place, two shots behind the leader, and produced a bogey-free round with four birdies. After making pars on the first five holes, she picked up her first birdie at the par-4 6th. She then added three more birdies at the 10th, 14th, and 18th holes. Her tee shots were outstanding, hitting 100% of the fairways. However, she struggled on the greens, needing 30 putts for the round. Her most recent victory was the Ford Championship in March last year, her seventh career win.

World No. 1 Jino Tittikkun of Thailand shot 4-under par to win by one stroke at 24-under-par 264. It is her eighth career victory and came three months after the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in November last year. The winner's check is 265,000 dollars, or about 380 million won. Since the tournament was inaugurated in 2006, Tittikkun is the third Thai player to win on home soil, following Ariya Jutanugarn in 2021 and Patty Tavatanakit in 2024.

Jino Titikkun (left) and Kim Hyojoo are walking the fairway and smiling brightly during the fourth round of the Honda LPGA Thailand. Pattaya - Photo by AFP/Yonhap News

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Jiji Iwai of Japan finished second at 23-under-par 265, Lee Somi was fourth at 21-under-par 267, and Korean-New Zealander Lydia Ko tied for fifth at 20-under-par 268. Choi Hyejin tied for eighth at 18-under-par 270, while Kim Seyoung, Kim Arim, and Yoo Haeran tied for 10th at 17-under-par 271. Yoon Yina tied for 50th at 4-under-par 284.

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