"She is a pretty player I like, and she is my Japanese rival," but Hwang Yu-min refuses to give up on the Rookie of the Year title... Tied for 5th with Hara, "Korea-Japan rivalry heats up"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Rising star in women's golf from South Korea, Hwang Yu-min, is engaged in a fierce battle for the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year award against Japan's Hara Erika.

On the 6th (Korean time), at the Daiheiyo Club Minori Course (par 72, 6,598 yards) in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, where the second round of the 2026 LPGA Tour Toto Japan Classic was held, Hwang Yu-min recorded a 5-under-par 67 with eight birdies and three bogeys.

With this, Hwang Yu-min moved up two spots from tied for 7th the previous day to tied for 5th with an intermediate total of 9-under-par 135. She trails solo leader Hataoka Nasa (Japan, 12-under-par 132) by three shots.

After finishing the first half at 1-under-par, Hwang Yu-min began to cut her score significantly in the second half. Following a birdie on the 10th hole (par 4), she hooked three consecutive birdies on holes 12 through 14 to climb the leaderboard. She added another birdie on the 17th hole (par 5) but made a bogey on the final 18th hole (par 4), finishing the round tied for 5th.

The Rookie of the Year race between Hwang Yu-min and Hara is also intriguing. Hara recorded a 7-under-par 65 with seven birdies and no bogeys that day. Although she had remained at 2-under-par, tied for 26th, the previous day, she swung a fierce game to reduce her score by seven shots in a single day.

Ultimately, Hara recorded an intermediate total of 9-under-par 135, placing her side-by-side with Hwang Yu-min at tied for 5th. As both players challenge for a comeback victory, the Korea-Japan competition over the Rookie of the Year title has become even more intense.

Local Japanese media have also focused on the two players' Rookie of the Year race. The Japanese golf specialty outlet Golf Digest reported on Hwang Yu-min's performance along with an interview regarding the Rookie of the Year competition.

The outlet stated, "There are only three tournaments left in the 2026 LPGA Tour season, including this week," and added, "In the Rookie of the Year race, Hara is leading toward a third consecutive win by a Japanese player, following Saigo Mao in 2024 and Yamashita Miyu in 2025."

In particular, Hwang Yu-min expressed familiarity with her Rookie of the Year rival, Hara, saying, "I have played against Hara a few times. She is one of the pretty players I like. It seems she also knows a little Korean."

Indeed, the two players were in the same group during the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship held in South Korea last month.

However, there is no room to back down in the Rookie of the Year race. Currently, Hara leads with 559 points in the rookie award standings, while Hwang Yu-min is second with 441 points. The gap between the two players is 118 points.

The winner of this tournament will receive 150 points for the rookie award. Second place earns 80 points, and third place earns 75 points. Since there are not many tournaments left until the end of the season, Hwang Yu-min's performance in this event is all the more important.

Hwang Yu-min has also refused to give up on her challenge for the Rookie of the Year title. She emphasized, "Since the season is not over yet, I am working hard with the goal of winning the Rookie of the Year award."

There is also a reason why this tournament held in Japan is welcome for Hwang Yu-min. According to reports, Hwang Yu-min has revealed that she is facing difficulties with language and food on the U.S. stage. She struggles to communicate in English and continues a lifestyle of finding Korean grocery stores to cook familiar meals herself.

On the other hand, she showed a special affection for Japanese food. Hwang Yu-min smiled and said, "I love all Japanese food, such as ramen, sushi, and okonomiyaki." She also cited as a positive factor that Japanese grass is similar to that in South Korea, meaning there is little difficulty adapting to the course.

Meanwhile, Hwang Yu-min secured a spot on the U.S. stage by winning the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship last October as an invited player. She has been actively competing on the LPGA Tour this season, and her tied for 5th finish at the opening event, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, is her best result of the season.

In this Toto Japan Classic as well, she has reached the halfway point tied for 5th, challenging to break her season-best record and secure her second career victory on the LPGA Tour.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original