Yuri Yoshida wins first LPGA title at BMW Ladies Championship; Andrea Lee scores hole-in-one
Yuri Yoshida captured her first LPGA Tour victory at the sixth BMW Ladies Championship, edging Haeran Ryu by one stroke as Andrea Lee won an all-electric MINI with a hole-in-one.
- 40,171
- 271 strokes (17 under par)
- 1 stroke
- 122 yards
What Happened
Yuri Yoshida, 26, won the sixth BMW Ladies Championship, organized by BMW Korea, at Pine Beach Golf Links with a 271 total, 17 under par. She started the final round four strokes behind Haeran Ryu but made an eagle on the second hole and three birdies soon after to take a lead she never lost. Ryu, who led after the third round with rounds of 67, 64 and 68, carded a 73 in challenging, rainy conditions. Yoshida bogeyed the final hole, but Ryu also dropped a shot on the 18th, leaving Yoshida one stroke clear. Ryu shared second with Hye-Jin Choi at 272, 16 under, while Hyo Joo Kim and Minsol Kim tied for fourth at 273, 15 under, as four South Korean players finished behind Yoshida.
“Winning the BMW Ladies Championship is a dream come true. I’m delighted to have won this prestigious tournament and I want to carry the momentum from my first LPGA title forward. I can’t wait to be back competing next week.”
Andrea Lee, 28, made the shot of the tournament in the second round, holing a 9-iron from 122 yards on the par-3 eighth hole. The American, who has South Korean roots, won the Hole-in-One Award and an all-electric MINI Countryman SE ALL4, which she called “very cute.” Two other all-electric hole-in-one prizes, a BMW i7 on the 13th hole and a BMW iX3 on the 15th, were not claimed. Lee is the fifth player in BMW Ladies Championship history to win a car. The MINI Countryman SE ALL4 is quoted with WLTP combined energy consumption of 17.4–15.7 kWh/100 km, CO2 emissions of 0 g/km, CO2 class A, and WLTP range of 424–501 km.
“The ace honestly came when I least expected it. I wasn’t even looking at the car. I just wanted to hit a good shot, and somehow it went in. My caddie and I were torn between a 9-iron and a pitching wedge – luckily we made the right choice. I love my new MINI, it’s very cute.”
Kristen Gillman won a BMW 740Li xDrive at the inaugural event with the first ace of her professional career.
Two Hole-in-One Awards were won on the same day: Na Yeon Choi won a BMW X7 xDrive40i and Ariya Jutanugarn won a BMW 740i.
Lucy Li won a BMW i7 eDrive50 in the opening round.
Andrea Lee won an all-electric MINI Countryman SE ALL4 with an ace on the eighth hole.
“On behalf of BMW I would like to congratulate Yuri Yoshida on winning the 2026 BMW Ladies Championship. It was a challenging task to overcome a world-class field, but Yuri demonstrated skill and dedication in an impressive fashion. It has been a thrilling week, and I would like to thank everyone at Pine Beach Golf Links. They have been wonderful hosts for the last two editions. Thank you also to all the tournament partners, supporters, volunteers, fans and everyone involved for contributing to this prestigious golf event.”
- For almost four decades, BMW has partnered with global golf at amateur and professional levels and is title partner of events on four continents.
- Since 1989, BMW has hosted the BMW International Open (DP World Tour) in Munich, Germany.
- BMW has supported the BMW PGA Championship in London since 2005; the DP World Tour flagship event has developed into a “Festival of Golf” and a highlight of the British sporting calendar.
- BMW is title partner of the BMW Championship in the USA since 2007; first played in 1899 as the Western Open, it is the penultimate PGA TOUR Playoffs event and has been PGA TOUR Tournament of the Year six times.
- BMW supports the BMW Australian PGA Championship, another prestigious tournament rich in tradition, and has hosted the BMW Ladies Championship, the only LPGA Tour event in South Korea, since 2019; the 2026 edition drew 40,171 spectators.
- BMW has organized the BMW Golf Cup since 1987, the largest international tournament series for amateur players, with more than 800 qualifying tournaments worldwide and an international World Final.
Why this matters
The BMW Ladies Championship is the only LPGA Tour event in South Korea, and this edition drew 40,171 spectators. BMW uses the tournament to award vehicles for holes-in-one, including an all-electric MINI Countryman SE ALL4 this year. The result gives Yoshida her first LPGA Tour title, while Lee becomes the fifth player in tournament history to win a car.
Terms in This Story
- LPGA Tour
- The main professional golf tour for women, featuring top players from around the world.
- Ace
- A hole-in-one: a shot that goes directly into the hole from the tee.
- Eagle
- A score of two strokes under par on a single hole.
- Par
- The standard number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete a hole or round.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.