“Her back is puckered!” The “gorgeous” annual award ceremony at the Korean women’s golf event: A storm of flashes for the “daring slit” dress.

Popular Professionals Perform Beautifully Together

The JLPGA Women’s Golf Tour (JLPGA) holds the “JLPGA Awards” as an annual event at the end of the season, and the glamorous dress-up of the players is a big topic of conversation every year. The same, or perhaps even greater, excitement was felt in the neighboring country of South Korea.

The 2025 KLPGA Awards Ceremony was held on November 28 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnassus in the upscale Gangnam district of Seoul. It is a “celebration of golf” where players honor each other after a year of hard work.

The awards ceremony began with Park Gyeol, the “Barbie Doll of Golf,” who has won one tournament in her career, presiding over the event. The first thing that caught my attention was her gorgeous black dress. Then, the tour players, who usually show their seriousness in their golf caps, appeared in luxurious dresses for the evening. The photographers who had gathered at the event could not stop snapping their shutters at the gap between the two and the beauty of the players.

Among the many gorgeous dresses, the one who stole the spotlight was 22-year-old Lee Yoo-rin, who quickly gained recognition after winning her first Tour title this season. She chose a chic yet bold long black dress. The silhouette of the dress flowed along her waistline, highlighting her perfect body line, free of any unnecessary flesh that only an athlete can have.

What particularly caught my attention was the way she walked. As she walked, her beautiful legs peeked out through deep slits that went all the way down to her thighs, giving off an air of sophistication.

What took the photographers’ breath away was her “back view. The backless design, which coolly and boldly exposed the back, was the biggest fashion highlight of the day. Combined with the elegant updo that showed off the nape of her neck, the dress gave the impression of adult sexiness and luxury.

She was as popular as an idol.

While Lee Yoo-rin was visually appealing, Hwang Yoo-min, a 22-year-old who has won three times on the tour, wowed the audience with her overwhelming “approval rating. This season, she won the Lotte Championship on the U.S. Women’s Tour for the first time despite being a recommended entry, and she has just decided to join the U.S. Tour next season.

Following the “Skill Development Award” chosen by golf journalists, the “Popularity Award,” which was chosen by online voting by fans, was announced. Hwang Yu-min won the first prize for the second year in a row. She is as popular as an idol and as talented as any other Korean actress. Along with the trophy, she was presented with a luxury sofa “Lean Rosé” worth 8 million won (approx. 880,000 yen) as an extra prize.

The finale of this glittering evening was the new queen, Yoo Hyun Jo, who is just 20 years old. She was crowned “Grand Prize (Queen of the Year)” and “No. 1 in stroke average” on the same day, making her the face of the 2025 season in both name and reality. Of particular note was her amazing stroke average of 69.94. It is no mean feat to average in the 60s for an entire season, and this is the first time in four years, since Jann Hana in 2009, that she has achieved such a feat. This is the first time in four years, since Jang Hana in 2009, that she has averaged in the 60s over the course of a season.

Yoo Hyun Jo took the stage and began to talk about her joy at receiving the award.

I am truly honored to receive the Grand Prize here at the end of the year. I did not win this award alone. It is an award that was created by people who supported me and believed in me when I was wavering. I do not intend to be satisfied with this grand prize alone. Next year and beyond, I will continue to grow as a player with a stronger mind and more mature appearance.

While retaining the innocence of a 20-year-old, she showed her “strength” as a top athlete in the end. In addition, popular pros Lee Ye-Won and Park Hyun-Kyung, who participated in this year’s “World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup,” a major event on the Japan Women’s Tour, were also seen in gorgeous dresses.

However, it is not all about the gorgeous dresses. I would like to add that a total of 205 million won (about 22 million yen), the highest amount ever, was donated to the international NGO “World Vision” by the players and the sponsors. It was an exciting night that clearly demonstrated the momentum and depth of the Korean women’s golf industry.