Ryu Hae-ran Captures First Major With Comeback Victory at Women's PGA Championship

Posted : 29 June 2026

Ryu Hae-ran completed a remarkable comeback to win the Women's PGA Championship on Sunday, securing the first major title of her career with a composed final-round performance at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

The South Korean golfer carded a two-under-par 70, finishing the tournament at 13-under 275 to claim a two-shot victory over fellow countrywoman Yoon Ina. The triumph marked another milestone in the career of the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year, who entered the final round with a narrow one-shot lead.

Ryu's victory was especially impressive given her difficult start to the tournament. She trailed the leaders by 10 strokes after the opening round but mounted an extraordinary recovery to become only the second player in women's major championship history to overcome such a deficit after 18 holes.

The only previous player to achieve the feat was Carol Mann, who rallied from 10 shots behind to win the 1964 Women's Western Open.

"I feel like it's a dream come true," Ryu said after lifting the trophy.

The 25-year-old credited a change of putter after the opening round and advice from her coach, who encouraged her to trust her game. She responded with a superb eight-under-par second round before maintaining her momentum over the weekend.

Ryu remained composed during a tense final round that featured multiple lead changes on the front nine. Despite an opening bogey and further dropped shots at the fourth and fifth holes, she steadied herself with crucial birdies and excellent putting down the stretch.

Birdies at the 10th and 12th, both from around 14 feet, strengthened her grip on the championship, while a vital seven-foot par save at the 16th helped keep her challengers at bay.

Yoon Ina mounted a late charge by closing with a two-under 70 and birdieing the final hole to finish alone in second place. Canada's Brooke Henderson and the Netherlands' Dewi Weber shared third after rounds of 72 and 70 respectively.

The challenging conditions at Hazeltine contributed to an unpredictable final round. Heavy rain delayed the start of play by three and a half hours, and the softened course produced frequent changes atop the leaderboard.

Yoon briefly moved into the lead with birdies on the opening two holes before a costly double bogey at the third. Henderson also enjoyed a short spell in front after a steady opening, while Weber surged ahead momentarily with an eagle at the seventh before surrendering the advantage with a bogey on the next hole.

By the turn, Ryu had regained control, leading by one stroke over Henderson and two ahead of Yoon.

World number one Nelly Korda entered the final round hoping to become just the third LPGA player to win the first three major championships of a single season. However, an inconsistent display prevented her from mounting a serious challenge.

After recovering from an early bogey with several birdies, Korda moved within three shots of the lead before another bogey at the 12th and a double bogey at the 16th ended her hopes. She closed with a one-over-par round to finish tied for eighth.

Korda admitted her disappointment stemmed more from her overall performance than from missing the opportunity to make history.

Ryu earned $1.95 million from the tournament's record $13 million prize fund, but said the financial reward was secondary to finally becoming a major champion.

She said the greatest satisfaction would come from hearing herself introduced as a major winner when she competes in future LPGA events, describing the achievement as an unforgettable moment in her career.

Ryu Hae-ran Captures First Major With Comeback Victory at Women's PGA Championship

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