KLPGA Second-Tier Player Conquers Major-Level Tournament… Kim Min-sol: "Wow, I Can't Believe This Actually Happened"

After securing four wins on the second-tier Dream Tour this year, Kim claimed her first victory on the main tour at the BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup, a tournament with a total prize purse of 1.5 billion won.

Kim Min-sol wins [Courtesy of KLPGA. Resale and DB prohibited]

Nineteen-year-old Kim Min-sol (born in 2006) has sparked a "second-tier rebellion."

On the 24th, Kim secured victory at the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour’s BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup (total prize of 1.5 billion won) held at Pocheon Hills CC (par 72, 6,561 yards) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, with a final score of 19-under 269.

Kim, who currently competes on the second-tier Dream Tour, participated in this tournament as a sponsor exemption. She outperformed the top-tier regulars to enjoy the joy of her first victory on the main tour.

Kim is the first sponsor exemption to win a KLPGA Tour event in six years, following Yoo Hae-ran’s victory at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters in August 2019.

Yoo Hae-ran, who has since grown into an LPGA Tour star, was also playing on the second tier at the time, though that tournament had been shortened to 36 holes due to inclement weather.

Winner Kim Min-sol [Courtesy of KLPGA. Resale and DB prohibited]

Standing 178cm tall, Kim was a standout ace on the national amateur team and turned professional in July last year.

She was identified early as a promising talent, having finished tied for 10th at the LPGA Tour’s BMW Ladies Championship in Korea in 2022 and runner-up at the KLPGA Tour’s Kyochon Ladies Open last year.

However, after finishing 83rd in the KLPGA Tour qualifying tournament last November, she had to begin her professional rookie season on the second tier.

Reflecting on her journey after her stunning victory at the "major-level" BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup, Kim said during her post-match interview, "I had grown up playing golf without much difficulty, but last year was the first time I felt that my golf game wasn't going as I wanted. I felt like I was becoming a negative person."

"My parents comforted me, saying, 'It seems like you're going through this hardship because you are destined to become a truly great player,' and that helped a lot," she said. "Thanks to the support of many people around me, I didn't give up and instead looked at it as an opportunity to grow."

Kim established herself as the top player on the Dream Tour this year with four wins, and after frequently appearing near the top of the leaderboard in her occasional sponsor exemption appearances on the main tour, she finally achieved her first victory in this tournament.

Winner Kim Min-sol [Courtesy of KLPGA. Resale and DB prohibited]

Having led from the first round, she briefly slipped out of the top spot after losing a stroke through the 15th hole today. However, she secured a dramatic victory with consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th, followed by an 11-meter eagle putt on the 18th (par 5).

"It was my first time in a championship group on the regular tour, and I'm happy I didn't give up until the end," she recalled. "My previous experience on the main tour helped today, and by staying patient without getting greedy, I was able to get a good result."

Describing the eagle putt, she said, "I thought, 'Wow, this actually went in.' I hit it with the intention to make it, but I really didn't expect it to go in."

Kim added, "It was a downhill, S-curve line. Because the weather was hot and it was late afternoon, I figured the greens wouldn't be very fast, so I made sure not to hit it too softly."

Having "graduated early" from the second-tier tour to compete on the main tour starting in September, she said, "I hoped to reach the first tier this year, but at times it felt very far away. I enjoyed the second tier, but I'm so happy to be playing on the main tour, which has always been my dream."

She smiled and added, "I will learn by gaining more experience on the first tier," while noting that she would "cancel" her participation in the next second-tier tournament tonight.

Kim Min-sol after her 18th-hole eagle [Courtesy of KLPGA. Resale and DB prohibited]

Kim stated, "I wasn't more than two strokes behind the leader, so I believed that if I stayed patient without being greedy, an opportunity would come. The professional playing in my group encouraged me on the 16th hole, saying 'Let's fight, let's keep it up,' which gave me extra strength."

"Actually, I wanted to go all-out from the beginning," she laughed, adding, "I'm also grateful to Doosan Construction, my sponsor since 2023, for believing in me even when my golf wasn't going well."