South Korea will host another important week of women’s golf when the BMW Ladies Championship returns to Pine Beach Golf Links from October 22 to 25, 2026.
There is more to this year’s tournament than a title defence. Fifteen KLPGA players will join 68 LPGA players and one invited player, giving the event a stronger Korean presence. That change adds a fresh layer to a tournament already known for international fields and low scoring. The event features 84 players, 72-hole stroke play and a $2.35 million purse, with $352,500 going to the winner. The defending champion is Sei Young Kim, who produced a remarkable 24-under total at the same venue in 2025.
Pine Beach also has a story of its own. Kim’s four-shot win last year showed how quickly the course can reward precise, aggressive golf. The question now is whether another player can match that scoring pace, or whether Kim can repeat the performance that put her name on the trophy.
What makes the BMW Ladies Championship different?
The BMW Ladies Championship is an LPGA Tour event in South Korea that brings leading international golfers together with a strong connection to the country’s golf community. The tournament began in 2019 and has since built a short but notable list of champions, including Ha Na Jang, Jin Young Ko, Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Sei Young Kim. Its 2026 edition also marks an important step in the event’s relationship with the KLPGA. Under an agreement announced in July, 15 KLPGA players will receive places in this year’s 84-player field. From 2027, that allocation rises to 30 KLPGA players as the tournament expands to 108 competitors and introduces a cut.
| 2026 tournament detail | Information |
| Dates | October 22–25, 2026 |
| Venue | Pine Beach Golf Links |
| Location | Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea |
| Field | 84 players |
| Format | 72-hole stroke play |
| Par | 72 |
| Yardage | 6,785 yards |
| Prize purse | $2.35 million |
| Winner’s prize | $352,500 |
| CME Globe points | 500 |
Those numbers make the event easy to understand. The BMW Ladies Championship field composition is what makes the 2026 edition harder to predict.
Pine Beach has already produced a champion’s scorecard
Pine Beach Golf Links enters the BMW Ladies Championship week with a recent piece of tournament history attached to it. Sei Young Kim finished the 2025 championship at 24-under 264, four shots clear of Nasa Hataoka. She closed with a 67 and secured her first BMW Ladies Championship title.
The BMW Ladies Championship course measures 6,785 yards and plays to par 72. It can produce birdies, but that does not mean every hole invites an aggressive approach. The layout rewards players who choose the right moments to attack and avoid giving shots back. The 17th hole offers a good example. It is a 536-yard par five, yet the LPGA’s Aon analysis shows that only 34 percent of players who find the fairway go for the green in two. That makes the hole more interesting than its par-five label suggests.
Where is the ladies BMW Championship being played?
The 2026 BMW Ladies Championship is being played at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. The venue sits on the country’s southwestern coast and returns after hosting the championship in 2025. The return matters because players already have recent tournament experience on the layout. Kim’s 24-under winning score provides a clear benchmark, while the course’s par-five opportunities can encourage aggressive scoring when conditions allow.
BMW’s official tournament page also confirms the four-day schedule, live coverage arrangements and spectator facilities at the venue. Ground tickets and BMW Excellence Class packages are available through the BMW Vantage app, with on-site ticket sales also offered.
The Korean players are back and that changes the feel of the field
The biggest structural story for 2026 is the return of a larger KLPGA presence. The agreement between the KLPGA and LPGA gives 15 KLPGA players places this year, alongside 68 LPGA players and one invited competitor. That arrangement creates a useful bridge between two levels of professional women’s golf. Korean players get a direct chance to measure their games against an international LPGA field, while the established tour members face competitors with strong local knowledge and home support.
The BMW Ladies Championship also points forward. From 2027, the tournament is scheduled to become a 108-player full-field event, with 74 LPGA players, 30 KLPGA players and four invited players. A cut will also be introduced. That means the BMW Ladies Championship 2026 sits between two versions of the event. It retains the compact 84-player format, but it also gives the tournament a larger Korean identity before the planned expansion.
The defending champion in the BMW Ladies Championship has a target on her back
Sei Young Kim arrives as the player everyone will measure against. In 2025, she finished four strokes ahead of the field at 24 under par and collected $345,000. The victory ended a five-year wait for another LPGA Tour title, according to the LPGA. Her final round was particularly controlled. Kim shot 67 while the chasing pack could not mount a serious late challenge. That combination of scoring and control matters because Pine Beach can tempt players into taking risks.
Kim also has something else to defend this year: a course record in the practical sense of setting the winning standard. A score of 264 over four rounds gives every challenger a clear target. The pressure, however, does not belong only to the defending champion. The field contains former winners and several highly ranked players, while the Korean contingent adds another source of competition.
Who can stop her?
Former champions give the BMW Ladies Championship field plenty of experience. Hannah Green won in 2024, Minjee Lee won in 2023, Lydia Ko won in 2022, Jin Young Ko won in 2021 and Ha Na Jang won the inaugural edition in 2019. Minjee Lee’s recent record also shows why she remains a relevant name. The Australian has 11 LPGA Tour wins, and her 2026 season includes a third-place finish at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and a top-five result at the Fortinet Founders Cup. The current LPGA entry list includes names such as Haeran Ryu, Hyo Joo Kim, Lottie Woad, Sei Young Kim and Aki Iwai. The entry list can change before tournament week, so confirmed status should be checked against the official LPGA page.
What’s going on with Nelly Korda?
Nelly Korda remains one of the central figures in the 2026 LPGA season, although the current BMW Ladies Championship entry page does not list her among the displayed confirmed entries. Her season has already included a major victory. Korda won the 2026 Chevron Championship by five strokes at 18 under par, earning $1.35 million and claiming her third major title and 17th LPGA Tour win.
That result explains why her name appears in searches around major LPGA events even when tournament participation is not confirmed. Korda’s schedule, health, ranking and commitments can all affect where she appears during the latter part of the season. For the BMW event, the safest position is simple: Korda should not be described as a confirmed starter unless the official entry list adds her.
The money is big, but the leaderboard matters more
The BMW Ladies Championship 2026 prize purse is $2.35 million, and the champion will receive $352,500. The winner will also earn 500 Race to CME Globe points.
| Year | Champion | Score | Winner’s prize |
| 2025 | Sei Young Kim | -24 | $345,000 |
| 2024 | Hannah Green | -19 | $330,000 |
| 2023 | Minjee Lee | -16 | $330,000 |
| 2022 | Lydia Ko | -21 | $300,000 |
| 2021 | Jin Young Ko | -22 | $300,000 |
| 2019 | Ha Na Jang | -19 | $300,000 |
What happened the last time the BMW Ladies Championship was played?
Sei Young Kim controlled the 2025 tournament from the front. She completed four rounds in 264 strokes, reaching 24 under par and winning by four shots. Nasa Hataoka finished second at 20 under, while Celine Boutier and A Lim Kim shared third at 18 under. The scoring tells an important story about Pine Beach. The top of the leaderboard was packed with players well below par, which suggests that accurate iron play and efficient putting can turn the course into a birdie race.
Kim’s 67 in the final round then added a second lesson: staying aggressive does not require reckless golf. She held her advantage instead of allowing the chasing group to reopen the contest. That is the standard the 2026 field inherits.
Four days can change everything
The BMW Ladies Championship begins on Thursday, October 22, and runs through Sunday, October 25. Each round carries a different kind of pressure. Thursday gives players room to settle in. Friday starts to reveal who has found the right rhythm. Saturday separates the serious contenders from the rest of the field. Sunday turns the leaderboard into a direct contest for the trophy.
The LPGA lists live Golf Channel coverage from Thursday through Saturday, while BMW’s official tournament page lists SPOTV as the live broadcaster for October 22–25. Coverage times can vary by market, so local schedules should be checked close to the event. Live scoring will become especially important once the leaders reach the closing holes. At Pine Beach, a handful of birdies can change the shape of the final leaderboard very quickly.
BMW Ladies Championship results 2026
The BMW Ladies Championship final results will not exist until competition begins, but the structure of the results page is already clear. The tournament will produce a four-round leaderboard, a final winning score and official prize-money results. During BMW Ladies Championship week, the most useful updates will be the leader after each round, the leading final-round groups and the players making the biggest moves. The 2025 leaderboard provides a useful comparison. Kim won at 24 under, while Hataoka finished four strokes behind and Boutier and A Lim Kim were another two shots back.
Why the 2026 edition could be a turning point
The BMW Ladies Championship sits at an interesting point in its development. The 2026 field remains compact at 84 players, yet the KLPGA agreement is already reshaping the event. The planned 2027 expansion will bring 108 players and a cut, making this year’s format a bridge between the tournament’s past and future. The defending champion adds another layer. Kim knows exactly what it takes to win at Pine Beach, while the former champions bring their own experience of the event. Then there is the Korean presence. Fifteen KLPGA players will have a chance to challenge LPGA competitors on home soil, creating a storyline that did not exist in the same form during the recent editions.
Final Thoughts
The BMW Ladies Championship enters 2026 with a clear identity and an even clearer question. Can Sei Young Kim repeat the extraordinary 24-under performance that delivered the 2025 trophy, or will Pine Beach produce a new champion? The answer will depend on more than raw scoring. The returning KLPGA players, former champions and international contenders all bring different strengths to a course that rewards smart aggression.
The event also offers a glimpse of what comes next. With the planned 108-player field arriving in 2027, the 2026 edition could become a useful marker in the tournament’s evolution. For now, Pine Beach has the stage. The leaderboard will decide the rest.
Key Takeaways
· The 2026 championship runs from October 22 through October 25 in South Korea.
· Pine Beach Golf Links returns after hosting the championship for the first time in 2025.
· The tournament features 84 players competing across four rounds of stroke play.
· The total prize purse reaches $2.35 million, with $352,500 going to the champion.
· Fifteen KLPGA players will join 68 LPGA players and one invited competitor.
· Sei Young Kim returns after winning the 2025 championship by four strokes.
· Kim’s 24-under score remains the benchmark at Pine Beach entering the new edition.
· From 2027, the tournament will expand to a 108-player full-field format.
· Nelly Korda has enjoyed a major-winning 2026 season but lacks confirmed BMW entry.
· Official LPGA results and tournament updates will provide the final championship record.
FAQs
Does the winner of the BMW get a car?
No, the standard 2026 championship prize is a cash award of $352,500. The BMW Ladies Championship is a BMW-sponsored LPGA tournament, but the official LPGA and BMW tournament information lists the winner’s prize as $352,500 rather than a vehicle. BMW also offers separate fan and customer experiences around the event, which should not be confused with the tournament’s winner’s award.
How much did Minjee Lee win?
Yes. Minjee Lee earned $330,000 for winning the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship. She finished at 16 under par with a total score of 272. The official LPGA past-winners record lists both her winning score and official earnings. Lee remains one of the event’s former champions and enters any return to South Korea with previous success at the tournament.
Who is playing in the BMW Championship this year?
Yes. The 2026 field is planned to include 84 players, made up of 68 LPGA players, 15 KLPGA players and one invited player. The official LPGA entry page currently lists several confirmed names, but the field can change before competition begins. The final starting field should therefore be checked against the LPGA’s official entries page.
Where is the BMW golf tournament being played today?
Yes. The 2026 tournament is scheduled for Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. The championship runs from October 22 through October 25. Outside those dates, the venue may host other activities, so the tournament schedule should be checked before treating Pine Beach as an active competition site.
Is there a dress code for the BMW Championship?
Yes. Golf-course visitors should follow the tournament’s current spectator and venue guidance, while players and golf participants follow golf-appropriate clothing rules. BMW’s official golf information specifies golfwear for playing rounds and smart-casual clothing for certain dinner events. Spectators should check the latest BMW tournament instructions before attending because event-specific policies can change.