South Korea’s Haeran Ryu produced one of the greatest comeback victories in recent major championship history to win the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, overcoming a remarkable 10-shot deficit to secure her first major title.
Playing at the demanding Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, Ryu showcased extraordinary composure and resilience to finish two shots clear of the field, capping off a memorable week that firmly established her among the elite players in women’s golf.
Few would have predicted Ryu’s triumph after the opening rounds. She found herself 10 shots behind the leaders early in the tournament, facing what appeared to be an almost impossible task on one of the toughest championship courses in the United States. However, while many of the frontrunners struggled with Hazeltine’s challenging conditions, Ryu quietly began climbing the leaderboard with consistent, mistake-free golf.
Her precision off the tee and exceptional iron play proved to be the difference. Time and again, Ryu found fairways and greens while avoiding the costly mistakes that caught out many of her rivals. As pressure mounted on the final day, she remained remarkably calm, producing clutch putts and crucial pars when they mattered most.
The final round was a masterclass in patience and course management. Rather than chasing birdies at every opportunity, Ryu trusted her game, allowing the leaderboard to come back to her as others faltered. By the closing stretch, she had transformed a seemingly impossible position into a commanding lead before comfortably closing out victory by two strokes.
The win marks the biggest achievement of Ryu’s professional career and her first major championship title. Having already established herself as one of the LPGA Tour’s most consistent performers, this breakthrough victory confirms that she has the talent and temperament to compete for golf’s biggest prizes.
For South Korean golf, Ryu’s success continues a proud tradition of producing world-class female golfers. South Korea has long been one of the dominant forces in women’s golf, and Ryu now joins an illustrious list of major champions from her country.
Beyond the trophy itself, the victory could prove to be a defining moment in her career. Winning a major often brings a new level of confidence, and at just 25 years old, Ryu appears poised to become one of the LPGA Tour’s leading stars for years to come.
From staring at a daunting 10-shot deficit to lifting one of golf’s most prestigious trophies, Haeran Ryu’s remarkable comeback will be remembered as one of the standout performances of the 2026 golfing season.
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