Kim Se Young Moves Past Playoff Loss, Ready to Leave Nightmares Behind

There are no lingering effects from her come-from-behind loss.

Kim Se Young is aiming for the major queen title. On April 23 (local time), she will compete in the first major tournament of the 2026 LPGA Tour season, the Chevron Championship, held at Memorial Park Golf Course (par 72, 6,811 yards) in Houston, Texas, United States. The total prize money for the event is 8 million dollars.

Kim Se Young, who debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2015, has proven herself with 13 career victories. Her only major win so far came at the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She is determined to claim her second career major title and notch her 14th overall victory at this tournament.

Se Young Kim is challenging for her first major victory of the season at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Photo by AP Yonhap News

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This year marks her 13th appearance at the Chevron Championship. Her best finish was a tie for third place in 2021. She has finished in the top 10 twice, including a tie for fourth place in 2015.

She is determined to shake off the disappointment of finishing runner-up at last week's JM Eagle LA Championship. During that event, she once held a six-shot lead in the third round, but ended up with a final round 2-under-par 70. She was forced into a playoff by Hannah Green (Australia) and Lim Jinhee, ultimately handing the championship trophy to Green.

Kim Se Young appeared visibly shocked after finishing tied for second place. "I can't think of anything right now. I'm sorry," she said, adding, "I had a chance to win but missed it, which is disappointing." She then left, stating, "I will do better in the next tournament."

She has shown solid form in the early part of this season. She has made the cut in five out of six tournaments, with one runner-up and one third-place finish. She has placed in the top 10 three times. She currently ranks fifth on the money list with 652,879 dollars, seventh in CME points with 596.714 points, 19th in greens in regulation at 73.48 percent, seventh in the Player of the Year standings with 22 points, seventh in scoring average at 70.09, and 24th in putts per hole at 1.76. She continues to play relatively stable golf.

World No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) and No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA) are considered strong favorites to win the title. Both players skipped the JM Eagle LA Championship to prepare for the major. In addition, Korean-New Zealander Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee (Australia) are also in contention for the win. The defending champion is Mao Saigo (Japan). Korean players in the field include Kim Hyojoo, Yoon Yina, Yoo Haeran, Ko Jin Young, and Jeon Inji.

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