The LPGA is back, and this week, we’re in Hawaii.
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Welcome back to Golf Thursday!
The 2025 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei is on the docket for the LPGA Tour from Oct. 1–4. It’s the 13th edition of the tournament and the fourth time it will be played at Ernie Els’s design Hoakalei Country Club.
The par-72 track, which opened in 2009, is playing at around 6,500 yards this week, depending on the course setup. As noted in the LPGA’s KPMG Performance Insights and the AON Risk Reward Challenge, approach play is perhaps the most important element of golf at this course. According to those stats from the LPGA, players who finished in the top 10 in last year’s event were the most efficient in their approach shots, gaining over 45% of their strokes on the field in that area.
29-year-old Korean A Lim Kim, defending champion, will look to capture another LPGA Tour victory. Winning this tournament, sponsored by a Korean company, meant a lot to her last year.
“I’m so proud to be a part of this LPGA tournament sponsored by Korean company,” Kim said during a pre-tournament press conference on Monday, Sept. 29. “It’s quite rare. In this aspect, it’s very meaningful to all of us I think.”
Kim’s birthday is Oct. 4, so it would be quite the present to ring in a successful title defense on her 30th.
Her compatriot and LOTTE sponsor, Hyo Joo Kim, also expressed how important it is for the Korean golfers to play in tournaments sponsored by their home country and the impact this has on fans.
“It was a shame that many Korean fans cannot actually watch other LPGA tournaments held worldwide because of time zone and time difference,” H.J. Kim said during the same press conference. “This time I think it’s a great chance for our Korean fans to support our Korean women golfer.”
Reaching a broader scope of fans seemed to be the theme in a lot of players’ media appearances this week. LOTTE has a big part to play in this, and several Tour players reflected on the support the company gives to the global LPGA community.
“Our Tour is so diverse and global that it’s amazing to see LOTTE step up and support our Tour for so many years,” World No. 2 Nelly Korda said during a pre-tournament press conference on Monday, Sept. 29. “And not only just the Tour. You see a bunch of Korean girls supported by LOTTE. So that’s the most amazing thing about this game, is how diverse and global we are and how many different markets we hit.”
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Brooke Henderson, in the same press conference, echoed Korda’s statement and expressed gratitude for the way LOTTE and other global companies have helped “elevate the women’s game.” It’s cool to see players wearing the logo of the tournament sponsor.
Playing in Hawaii also means that, like H.J. Kim said, a lot of fans who wouldn’t be awake to catch the action will now be able to tune in to cheer on their role models. Hawaii is six hours behind Eastern Time in the U.S., but its 19-hour difference with Korea puts it just about at prime time broadcast. How fun is that?
The field this week is stacked one. In addition to Korda, Henderson and A.L. and H.J. Kim, World No. 5 Charley Hull is making her second LOTTE Championship start and her first since 2019. She’s still coming pretty fresh off her win at the 2025 Kroger Queen City Championship since the rain-soaked cancellation of the 2025 NW Arkansas Championship put a wrench in everyone’s plans of crowning another winner before Hawaii. And, her game looks good.
Also, 13 of the 25 winners on the LPGA Tour this year are slated to compete. Surely we’ll have a repeat winner this tournament, right? On the contrary, the season has been so unpredictable that we might have our 26th different winner. The streak can go on.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and Race to the CME Globe No. 2 Minjee Lee are both not in the field at the LOTTE this week, so it’s a great chance for others to snag some points both in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and the CME Globe standings. Miyu Yamashita is one of those players. She sits at World No. 6 and at third in the Race to the CME Globe.
The current frontrunner for the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year trophy is ranked second in most putts made from 10 feet or more this season with 134. This should help her on those large, sloping green complexes of Hoakalei.
At the time of writing, the first round is underway. We’ll catch up next week to see how it finishes.
See you then, golf fans.
This week in women’s golf
LPGA News
Official dates unveiled for 2028 Solheim Cup
On this date: LPGA charter is signed at 1950 U.S. Women’s Open
Featured groups: 2025 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei
Field breakdown: 2025 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei
Five things to know about the 2025 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei
How to watch the 2025 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei
LET News
Six storylines heading into the tail end of the LET season
2026 Solheim Cup: Tamburlini and Briem occupy automatic spots
Anne van Dam appointed vice captain for 2026 European Solheim Cup team
Rhodes leads LET Order of Merit with four events remaining
Huang wins Lacoste Ladies Open de France to clinch back-to-back LET victories
Epson Tour News
Players to watch: 2025 Epson Tour Championship
Race for the Card update: 2025 Epson Tour Championship
Three things to know about the 2025 Epson Tour Championship
Epson Tour finalizes field for 2025 Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells
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Five at The IX: Major winner Allisen Corpuz looks forward to time in Hawaii at the 2025 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei
On Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, U.S. Women’s Open winner Allisen Corpuz spoke to the media ahead of the 2025 LOTTE Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Corpuz, who is from Hawaii and grew up watching this tournament, talks about how special playing at home is and what she looks forward to this week. Here are some snippets from that press conference.
THE MODERATOR: All right, joining me at the 2025 LOTTE Championship is Allisen Corpuz. Allisen, this is taking place in your backyard pretty much. What does it mean to you to be playing an LPGA event in the area that you grew up?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, I’m really looking forward to the week. I mean, this is an event that I grew up attending and watching. Watched Michelle win here at home as well. She’s always been such a big role model for me.
And just to grow up watching this event and the players, you know, dreaming of being out here, I’m really excited for the week. It’s just always special to come and play at home.
Q. And are you staying with family this week? Do you have a lot of people out here supporting? What about the environment is different from what you get on the road?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, I’m sleeping in my own bed tonight. My parents still have a home out here and still live out here. We have Megan Khang staying with us as well. It’s just a really fun week at home and hosting one of my best friends.
Yeah, I’ll have a lot of family and friends out on the weekend hopefully to come and support me. It’s really special because I don’t get a chance for everyone to watch me play golf, so this is kind of my chance to go out there and show them what my game looks like.
Q. When you did come in second a few weeks ago and your game is—was there a specific something that you got—you know, improved at? Did you change anything?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I feel like it’s just sometimes the course suits you or like just the game is just a little better, just make more putts. Sometimes it doesn’t—like bad golf isn’t always bad. Sometimes you’re just learning and kind of figure things out.
So yeah, just feels like everything has been trending to get better so I am looking forward to a good week.
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Q. What is it like playing on Hawai’i time? Do you ever feel like that’s an advantage for you or is there any more comfort that comes with that?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, definitely think just growing up and playing in the wind is an advantage. Just feeling a little more comfortable, especially when it starts getting gusty. Just being a little more familiar with how the courses are. I played a few qualifiers here growing up, so definitely a course I’ve seen a few times. This is my third time coming back as a pro as well.
So, yeah, looking forward to getting out, uh-huh.
Q. Curious, how often does your U.S. Open win stick with you, and how often do you turn to that as an example of what you can accomplish in this sport?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, it’s definitely something I look back on and just try to emulate what I did that week and what I was thinking, what I was doing to prepare for tournaments.
I go back to that performance a lot and just use it as ways to get better. It’s really awesome to just have people even two years later come up to me and say congratulations. It’s been the most fun to be able to share the win with family and friends, fans; that’s been really special to me.
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