Staff WriterYoumin Hwang tore through the back nine at Hoakalei Country Club on Sunday like a woman possessed, birdieing five of her last six holes to capture the 2025 LOTTE Championship with a final-round 67.
The 21-year-old Korean, who began the day three shots adrift after a scrappy +3 third round, found another gear when it mattered most—showing nerves of steel and a putting stroke that bordered on the ridiculous.
Hwang hit 11 of 14 fairways, found 11 greens in regulation, and needed just 23 putts to get the job done—no one in the field putted better in the final round. Her late-round birdie blitz on Nos. 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 sent a clear message: she wasn’t here to make up the numbers. She was here to win.
“So before I joined this LOTTE Championship, I didn’t think I can be the winner this year. But after playing second round I thought, I might can be the winner if I focus on my play, my own play,” Hwang said, her words as humble as her golf was ruthless.
The victory is a career-changer. As a member of the KLPGA who received a sponsor’s invite into the tournament, Youmin Hwang is now eligible for immediate LPGA Tour membership. She can either join the world’s biggest women’s circuit right away or defer until the 2026 season.
If she accepts before midnight on the final day, this becomes her first official LPGA win.
A Record-Equalling Statement
This was no fluke. Earlier in the week, Hwang tied the 18-hole tournament scoring record with a sizzling 62 in Round 2—matching marks set by Lizette Salas (2013) and Cristie Kerr (2017). It was the kind of round that makes other players glance at the leaderboard twice, just to be sure.
The Rolex World No. 53 has been making steady noise on the international stage. This was her third start at the LOTTE Championship, following a T9 finish in 2023 and T35 in 2024.
She’s also made cuts in three majors this season—the U.S. Women’s Open, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and the Amundi Evian Championship. But this, her sixth LPGA appearance of the year, was the breakthrough.
The Chase Pack
Hyo Joo Kim finished runner-up at 15-under after a mixed final-round 68 featuring seven birdies and three bogeys. She shared top honours for most birdies over the week (21) and matched Hwang’s putting stats across the tournament with just 108 putts in total. Kim, the 2022 LOTTE champion, was close—but Hwang’s late-round heroics were untouchable.
Minami Katsu closed with a 69 to finish third. Like Kim and Hwang, she racked up 21 birdies during the week but couldn’t keep the mistakes off her card. Nelly Korda and Peiyun Chien were among those tied for fourth at 14-under, both leaving Hawaii motivated for more.
“It was nice to be in contention. The end goal always without saying for everyone in this field is to lift that trophy on Sunday. Falling a little bit short definitely motivated,” Korda reflected.
“That’s just golf. Like I think you start to appreciate it more when you kind of fall short and you appreciate the highs as much as the lows.”
Chien summed up the intensity of the LPGA scene neatly: “I always can play in Asia. I didn’t realise I would miss Asia. This year I upset a lot. Need to work harder and a lot of new player, like are young, strong. So have to work harder. Don’t be lazy.”
A Farewell for Stacy Lewis
While Hwang’s win stole the spotlight, Sunday also marked the end of an era. Stacy Lewis closed out her full-time LPGA Tour career with a tidy 70 to finish T32, walking the fairways one last time with her daughter by her side.
“It’s really cool. Just to see her grow up, and she understands a little bit what mom does. I hope she remembers these moments,” Lewis said.
“She’s seen the behind the scenes more than anybody. So I just think for her it’s just been a blessing for her to grow up in this environment.”
The Numbers That Tell the Story
- Final Score: −17 (271)
- Birdies: 21 (tied most in the field)
- Putts in Final Round: 23 (fewest on the day)
- Fairways Hit: 11/14
- Greens in Regulation: 11/18
Youmin Hwang’s name now sits alongside some of the game’s greats in the LOTTE Championship record books. Whether she chooses to join the LPGA immediately or hold off until 2026, the golf world has taken note.
Her performance in Hawaii was equal parts patience and firepower—a young player stepping into the spotlight with a smile and a putter that simply refused to miss.
