'Super Rookie' Hwang Yumin Aims to Halt Korda's Winning Streak
by Roh Woolae
Published 29 Apr.2026 01:00(KST)
Aiming for Victory at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open
Six Cuts Made This Year, Leading the Rookie of the Year Points Race
Korda, Lee Somin, Lim Jinhee, and Park Sunghyun Compete for the Title
'Super rookie' Hwang Yumin is set to make her mark in Mexico.
Starting from April 30 (local time), Hwang will compete in the LPGA Tour's Mexico Riviera Maya Open, held over four days at the El Camale?n Golf Course (par 72, 6,583 yards) in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The tournament offers a total prize fund of 2.5 million dollars.
This event, now in its second year, was established last year. Usually, tournaments held immediately after a major event do not attract many top-ranked players. However, this year's tournament is different. Nelly Korda of the United States, the world number one who won last week's season’s first major, the Chevron Championship, will be participating. This is Korda’s first appearance at the Mexico event. In five tournaments this year, she has achieved at least a runner-up finish in all of them, including two victories.
Hwang Yumin is currently a rookie. She has achieved three career victories on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. In October last year, she won the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship held in Hawaii, USA. Entering as a sponsor-invited player, she claimed the title and secured a direct ticket to the LPGA Tour without having to go through the LPGA Qualifying (Q) Series. She became the sixth Korean non-member to win on the LPGA Tour, following Ryu So-yeon in 2011, Kim Hyo-joo in 2014, Jeon In-gee in 2015, Ko Jin-young in 2017, and Kim A Lim in 2020.
This season, Hwang has played in seven tournaments, making the cut in six of them. She currently leads the Rookie of the Year points race with 245 points, comfortably ahead of her competitors who are in the 100-point range. After tying for 12th place at the Chevron Championship, expectations are high for her performance at the Mexico event as well.
Other Korean players, including Lim Jinhee, Lee Dong-eun, and Park Sung-hyun, are also aiming for their first win of the season. Kim Hyo-joo, who has two wins this year, and Lee Mi-hyang, who has one, will not be participating.
Defending champion Jiyai Iwai of Japan, as well as Yuka Saso of Japan, who has won major tournaments including the 2021 US Women’s Open and the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship, will also be vying for the title.
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