Yoo Haeran: "My Goal This Year Is to Win a Major Tournament"

Rookie of the Year in Korea and the US, at Least One Win Every Year Since 2019
Looking Forward to the Chevron Championship, This Year's Major
No. 1 in Greens in Regulation, Aiming to Improve Putting for Major Victory

Yoo Hae-ran has set her sights on winning a major tournament as her New Year's goal for 2026.

At a press conference held at the Madcathos flagship store in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on January 6, she said, "Since 2019, I have managed to win at least one tournament every year. I am grateful for that record, and I hope to add another victory this year. If possible, I want to achieve a good result in a major tournament," expressing her determination.

Yoo Hae-ran swept the Rookie of the Year awards on both the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2020 and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2023. Since claiming her first victory at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters in 2019, she has won at least one title each year through last year. Since moving to the United States in 2023, she has steadily added one win per year for three consecutive years. Last May, she captured the Black Desert Championship.

Yoo Hae-ran is being interviewed at the Madcathos flagship store. Photo by Yonhap News

Although Yoo Hae-ran has yet to win a major tournament in either Korea or the United States, she said, "I've been thinking about winning a major for a long time. I don't think I'm quite ready yet, but if I keep working hard, I believe my time will come," she said with a smile. At the season's first major, the Chevron Championship, she led through the third round for two consecutive years, only to fall in the rankings on the final day. She finished fifth in 2024 and sixth in 2025.

Yoo Hae-ran commented, "It's disappointing that I couldn't hold the lead on the final day, and I still think about it. I heard the course is changing this year, but since I've won on a new course before, I'm looking forward to the Chevron Championship again." Last season, she ranked first in greens in regulation (77.5%), but she analyzed, "Statistically, I hit a lot of greens, but I didn't create many birdie opportunities. Since putting isn't my strength, I need to hit more accurate iron shots."

She identified putting as an area for improvement. "I think if I see it as a problem, it becomes an even bigger issue," she explained. "Since April last year, I've switched to a zero-torque putter and have been focusing on precise alignment so I can putt with more confidence." Last year, her average number of putts per round was 30.63, ranking her 142nd.

This year, Yoo Hae-ran will be wearing Madcathos apparel. She will head to Vietnam for training this weekend and compete in the season opener, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, at the end of the month. Afterward, she will continue training in Vietnam before participating in LPGA Tour events in Thailand and Singapore in February.