Thursday was meant to be an exciting day at the 2025 BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea. Still, unplayable conditions at Pine Beach Golf Links turned it into a frustrating start for players and fans, adding yet another setback in the LPGA’s ongoing struggle with course and logistical issues. “Due to unplayable course conditions, the start of Round 1 at the BMW Ladies Championship is delayed one hour,” reads the statement.

“This delay may be longer than an hour to give the course optimal drying time before starting. The first tee time is now at 9:00 a.m.,” read the LPGA’s official statement, further posted on X early Thursday morning. Due to unexpected rainfall, the course experienced waterlogging, and the start of the first round was delayed by an hour.

While South Korea is nearly 13 hours ahead of the U.S., and it’s not a major inconvenience for fans following from across the globe, it was a jarring start for players already up, prepped, and mentally locked in for round one. The mood at Pine Beach Golf Links, hosting the tournament for the first time since the BMW Ladies joined the LPGA schedule in 2019, shifted from excitement to frustration. And this is the second week in a row that players have had to face issues related to course conditions.

Just last week, LPGA players were in China for the 2025 Buick LPGA Shanghai, and they experienced battered course conditions. Due to extreme heat and temperatures soaring over 95°F for nearly 23 days in Shanghai, the greens at Qizhong Garden Golf Club were scorched, patchy, and in some spots, almost unplayable.

The LPGA even released a statement saying, “We are aware of the course conditions at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. The golf course superintendent, tournament team, and the LPGA rules officials have worked diligently against extreme heat conditions this season in preparation for this week’s event…” Typically, the weather in Shanghai ranges from 80-90°F during this time of year. But the extreme conditions turned what should have been top-tier golf into a nightmare for organizers and players.

Photos circulated online showing putting surfaces that looked extremely patchy, and visuals showed greens that looked sunburned beyond repair. It was so horrid that it was difficult to even spot the holes. Players couldn’t help but speak out against the conditions.

“It’s just the greens. It’s REALLY hot here in Shanghai —almost as bad as Thailand. Bent grass can’t handle heat like this, so a lot of areas have died off. Roll isn’t too bad, surprisingly, but in some sandy areas, it’s hard to get the speed right,” LPGA veteran Jenny Shin responded to a fan’s comment on X. Even Minjee Lee, who managed a solid round that week, had to admit — “With how the greens are, the condition, I think I managed pretty well, to make, what, seven birdies.”

The LPGA’s weather woes aren’t isolated incidents but part of a broader challenge facing golf in 2025. Across professional tours, unpredictable weather has repeatedly disrupted play. The U.S. Open at Oakmont saw its final round halted due to torrential rain and waterlogged greens, while the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow faced similar storm delays. Even the CJ Cup Byron Nelson was interrupted by lightning. Within the LPGA, it’s become a frustrating trend.

The tour has now faced three weather-related setbacks in a month — from scorched greens in Shanghai to heavy rainfall in South Korea, and the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which was shortened to just 18 holes before being canceled. These back-to-back challenges highlight how Mother Nature continues to test both players and organizers across the sport.

Still, despite the weather delays, the field at the BMW Ladies Championship is stacked, and there’s no shortage of big names to keep an eye on once play gets underway.

Field at this week’s BMW Ladies Championship

Despite the soggy start, the BMW Ladies Championship boasts one of the strongest fields of the LPGA’s fall swing, and fans are in for a treat once the action gets going. Sixteen of the world’s top 25 players are teeing it up this week, and 20 of the 26 LPGA winners from this season are in the mix, making it one of the most competitive lineups of the year.

Leading the charge is Minjee Lee, who won her third major this year at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and is looking to defend her BMW Ladies title from 2023. She’s joined by rookie sensation Lottie Woad, who earned her way onto the Tour through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway and already has one win under her belt. Miyu Yamashita, who won the AIG Women’s Open, is in the field this week, too, and this will be her debut appearance at the event.

There’s also a strong mix of veterans and fresh faces. Twelve rookies are in the field, along with 10 sponsor invites, including Chella Choi, making a heartwarming return to competition in her home country after maternity leave. With a $2.3 million purse on the line, and a pledge from BMW Korea to raise that to $2.6 million by 2029 (the largest in Korean women’s golf), the stakes are as high as the expectations.