‘Super Rookie’ Yoo Hyun-jo, Ascends as Major Queen

KB Financial Star Championship 2-Stroke Victory
First Rookie Win in 19 Tournaments
Seong Yujin 2nd, Yoon Ina 3rd, Kim Jaehee 4th

“Super rookie” Yoo Hyun-jo has risen to become a “Major Queen.”

Yoo Hyun-jo is teeing off at the 5th hole of the 4th round of the KB Financial Star Championship.
[Photo by KLPGA]

On the 8th, at Blackstone Icheon Golf Club (par 72, 6,689 yards) in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, Yoo Hyun-jo added a 3-under-par 69 in the final round of the KB Financial Star Championship (total prize money 1.2 billion KRW), the fourth major tournament of the KLPGA Tour season, securing a 2-stroke victory (13-under-par 275). She claimed her first win in her 19th tournament since debuting on the KLPGA Tour this year. The winner’s prize money was 216 million KRW.

Yoo Hyun-jo is the first rookie to win a major on the KLPGA since Lim Hee-jeong at this tournament in 2019, marking a 5-year gap. This season’s rookie victory is Yoo’s first, and she is the 10th rookie in history to win a major tournament. Additionally, Yoo is the first rookie in 11 years to claim her first tour win at a major since Jeon In-ji at the 2013 Korea Women’s Open. Prior to this tournament, Yoo Hyun-jo was already leading the rookie points standings, solidifying her position for the 2024 Rookie of the Year title.

Starting the final round with a one-stroke lead, Yoo recorded five birdies and two bogeys. Although she began shakily with consecutive bogeys on holes 5 and 6, she shifted momentum with three consecutive birdies from holes 9 to 11. She then extended her lead with birdies on the 13th hole (par 3) and the 17th hole (par 4).

Yoo Hyun-jo was also a standout at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games last October, where she earned two medals (silver in the team event and bronze in the individual event). She endured a difficult period with a driving yips from middle school second grade through high school first grade. In 2021, she underwent knee surgery due to an injury. Last October, she placed third in the full membership qualifying tournament, followed by a fifth-place finish in the KLPGA Tour seed ranking final in November. Her fifth place in the seed ranking final is the highest among this year’s rookies.

Before this tournament, Yoo had competed in 18 events, advancing to the final round in 17 of them, demonstrating remarkable consistency. She achieved four top-10 finishes, with her personal best being a tie for 4th at the Lotte Open last July. In a post-victory interview, she said, “I thought winning would be difficult because the first half of the round didn’t go well. Fortunately, I gained confidence after making a birdie on the 9th hole,” adding, “I want to add one more win in the remaining tournaments and secure the Rookie of the Year award.”

LPGA member Sung Yu-jin performed well, shooting 2-under-par but settled for runner-up (11-under-par 277). Yoon Yi-na finished third (10-under-par 278), Kim Jae-hee and Kim Su-ji tied for fourth (9-under-par 279), Bae So-hyun and Lee Je-young tied for sixth (8-under-par 280), Kim Hyo-joo and Park Joo-young tied for eighth (6-under-par 282). Lee Ye-won tied for tenth (5-under-par 283), and Park Hyun-kyung finished tied for 25th (1-under-par 287) to close the tournament.