South Korean golfer Kim Hyo-joo has climbed to a career-high No. 3 in the women's world golf rankings after securing her second straight LPGA title. She won the Ford Championship in Arizona over the weekend, following her victory at the Fortinet Founders Cup near San Francisco a week earlier. The updated rankings were released on Tuesday.
Kim Hyo-joo rose one spot from No. 4 to No. 3 in the latest women's world golf rankings released Tuesday. England's Charley Hull dropped from No. 3 to No. 4. Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul held onto No. 1, while United States' Nelly Korda, who finished second to Kim in both recent tournaments, remained at No. 2. The other South Korean in the top 10, Kim Sei-young, slipped to No. 10.
Kim captured the LPGA Ford Championship at Whirlwind Golf Club's Cattail Course in Chandler, Arizona, finishing at a career-best 28-under 260 to beat Korda by two strokes. She set an LPGA record for 54 holes at 25-under and carded 11-under 61 in both the first and third rounds.
After the win, the 30-year-old Kim said, "I love this game of golf, and so I always want to enjoy playing it." She added, "My mindset is just to have fun." Kim faced a scare with a double bogey on the eighth hole in the final round, trimming her lead to one stroke, but she responded with three birdies on the back nine.
These victories mark Kim's first multiple wins in a single season and make her the first player to reach two triumphs in the 2026 LPGA season. Her previous win had propelled her from No. 8 to No. 4.
