Haeran Ryu is a major champion – and she did it the hard way. The 25-year-old South Korean closed with a two-under 70 on a blustery Sunday at Hazeltine National to win the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at 13-under 275, two clear of compatriot Ina Yoon. It was Ryu’s first major title, and it came on the back of the largest opening-round comeback in the championship’s history.
What Happened
Ryu’s week in Chaska, Minnesota started about as badly as a major bid can. After round one she stood a full 10 shots behind early leader Ina Yoon – a deficit no eventual champion of this event had ever overcome. From there she barely missed a step, climbing the leaderboard for three straight days before outlasting her final-group playing partners, Yoon and Brooke Henderson, while Dewi Weber also pressed the lead deep into Sunday.
As the LPGA confirmed, the win banked Ryu $1.95 million from a $13 million purse – the richest in the history of women’s golf. Nelly Korda, who arrived at Hazeltine as one of the favorites after her Chevron Championship win earlier this season, never factored and will now rest before the next major.
The result capped a week we flagged in our Women’s PGA field preview, where the star power at the top of the entry list had most of the attention. Ryu, quietly, was the one holding the trophy.
Why It Matters
Majors are usually won from the front; Hazeltine’s brutal length and Sunday wind make front-running even more valuable. That’s what makes Ryu’s 10-shot recovery so remarkable – it required four days of discipline rather than one hot streak. In a season where women’s golf keeps breaking financial ground, a record $13 million purse and a first-time major champion with a story this good is exactly the kind of result the LPGA wanted from its flagship week at a Ryder Cup venue.
For Yoon, 20 years old and already contending on golf’s biggest stages, the runner-up finish stings – she led by a mile on Thursday night – but it announces her as a genuine major threat. Henderson’s presence in the final group, meanwhile, was another sign her game is trending back toward the player who has won two majors of her own.
What This Means For You
There’s a genuinely useful lesson in Ryu’s week for club golfers: a terrible start doesn’t end a tournament – or a medal round. Ryu didn’t chase the deficit with hero shots; she simply stacked solid rounds and let the leaders come back to her. Next time you open a competition with a blow-up nine, think process, not scoreboard.
Two practical places to start: tighten up the short game that keeps bad rounds respectable with our guide on how to chip it close, and make sure the putts that keep momentum alive start on line by learning how to aim your putter properly. Grinding pars, not miracle birdies, are what turn a 10-shot hole into a trophy.
And if Ryu’s win has you hooked on the women’s game, the timing is perfect: the next major is days away, and our Evian Championship preview covers Grace Kim’s title defense in France from July 9–12.
Key Takeaways
- Haeran Ryu shot a final-round 70 to win the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at 13-under 275, two ahead of Ina Yoon – her first major title.
- She overturned a 10-shot deficit after round one, the largest comeback by a champion in the event’s history.
- The $13 million purse was the biggest ever in women’s golf; Ryu earned $1.95 million.
- The LPGA’s major season continues at the Amundi Evian Championship on July 9–12.
