Paju, Korea - Kyo-Rim Seo outlasted 20-year-old rival Min-Sol Kim in a six-hour, four-round duel to win her first career Major title at the BC Card·Hankyung 48th KLPGA Championship on Sunday at Pocheon Hills Country Club.
Seo closed with a two-over-par 74 to finish tied with Kim at eight-under 280 before sticking a 58-degree wedge from 74 meters to within two feet on the first playoff hole for a tap-in birdie. The victory yielded a 270 million won ($204,000) winner’s check, propelling her into first place across all major statistical categories—Grand Prix points (490 points), scoring average (70.27), and official prize money (1,286,766,000 won).
The victory marks Seo’s second consecutive weekly win over Kim following her triumph at the Mediheal·Hankook Ilbo Championship. She becomes the first KLPGA Tour player to reach four victories in a single season since Jin-Hee Im accomplished the feat in 2023.
“The pressure was intense from the very first hole to the last,” said Seo, who was named Rookie of the Year in 2025 without a win before embarking on her four-win breakout campaign. “Min-Sol is such an incredible player, and competing against her pushes me to be better. Having reached four wins first, I guess it’s fair to call our rivalry the ‘Rim-Sol Battle’ now.”
Seo and Kim traded the lead throughout the final day after starting in the final group together for a fourth straight round. Kim surged ahead on the front nine as Seo struggled with early bogeys, but Seo pulled back into contention with a crucial birdie on the par-3 16th. Both players birdied the 72nd hole to force sudden death.
In KPGA Tour action, Chan Choi captured his second victory of the season at the Dong-A Membership Group Open at Solago Country Club. Choi posted a 20-under 268 total to go with his earlier victory at the Woori Financial Group Championship in April.