Top S. Korean golfers set to enter U.S. tour qualifying tournaments

The 2026 seasons for the men's and women's domestic golf tours ended Sunday, but top stars from those circuits are not done playing this year.

Some of the big names from the men's KPGA Tour and the women's KLPGA Tour have said they will enter the qualifying tournaments for the PGA and LPGA tours in the United States in December.

Shin Sang-hun, by winning the KPGA Tour Player of the Year points race, has earned a bye to the final stage of the PGA Tour's qualifying tournament, colloquially known as Q-School, scheduled for Dec. 10-13 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The top five players at the end of the four-round stroke play competition will earn their PGA Tour cards for 2027. Those finishing from sixth to 45th place will receive membership for the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour for next year.

"I will study the grass at the U.S. course closely," said Shin, who will travel to Florida in late November. "I will work on my shots from 100 meters and in, and will also try to fix my drives so that I become more consistent off the tee."

The next four golfers in the KPGA points standings -- Jung Chan-min, Jang Yu-bin, Song Min-hyuk and Choi Chan -- will start their Q-School journey in the second stage, which goes from Dec. 1 to 4. The second stage will take place across five courses: Valencia Country Club in Valencia, California; The Club at Starr Pass in Tucson, Arizona; Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Georgia; RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks in Dothan, Alabama; and The Club at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Palm Coast, Florida.

Jang, who once pulled out of the Q-School to sign with now-bankrupt LIV Golf, had a chance to win the KPGA Tour Player of the Year award at the season-ending event, the KPGA Tour Championship, last week. However, he was disqualified after the second round Friday for signing an incorrect scorecard.

There are other KPGA Tour members who did not crack the top five in the Player of the Year points and who have taken an even more difficult qualifying path. Oh Seung-taek, Moon Dong-hyun and Kim Bi-o all survived the first stage in October and are now gearing up for the second stage.

An Hae-cheon, a 20-year-old prospect who turned pro in July, and the 16-year-old amateur An Seong-hyeon also made it through the first stage.

In 2026, the PGA Tour had three South Korean players in Kim Si-woo, Im Sung-jae and Tom Kim.

Kim Si-woo is second overall on the tour with 11 top-10 finishes and is 10th on the money list. Tom Kim is the only one of the trio to have won this year, having captured the Genesis Scottish Open in July.

From the KLPGA Tour, four players have announced plans to enter the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series, or Q-Series.

Yoo Hyun-jo, who captured the season-ending Daebo hausD Championship on Sunday, won the KLPGA scoring title with 70.6795. She also finished third in both the money list and the Player of the Year standings.

After her victory Sunday, Yoo, 21, said she will compete in the final stage of the Q-Series, set for Nov. 19-23 at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama.

Among other KLPGA players, Bang Shin-sil, Lee Da-yeon and Kim Min-sun will also enter the final stage, which will be played over 90 holes, with a cut after 72 holes.

All three finished inside the top 10 in the KLPGA money list and the Player of the Year standings this year, with Kim notching two victories and Bang and Lee each winning once in 2026.

The top 25 finishers and ties will earn their LPGA Tour cards for 2027. All the other players who survive the four-round cut will secure status for the second-tier Epson Tour.

South Korean players have long excelled on the LPGA Tour. With two tournaments remaining in the 2026 season, four South Korean players have found the winner's circle: Lee Mi-hyang, Kim Hyo-joo, Ryu Hae-ran and Jenny Shin. Ryu won back-to-back majors in the summer and is the top South Korean in the world rankings at No. 3.