If you looked at the leaderboard at this week’s LOTTE Championship and wondered whether LPGA golfers Hyo-joo Kim and A-Lim Kim are long-lost sisters, you’re not alone. After all, they both share the same last name, and they’re both from South Korea. That’s enough to make any golf fan wonder and say, ‘Are they related?’

Well, let’s put the mystery to rest right away. No, Hyo-joo Kim and A-Lim Kim aren’t related. Not sisters, not cousins, not even distant relatives. Just two incredibly talented golfers with a shared surname and a knack for stealing the spotlight. But just by virtue of the fact that they’re not family, it doesn’t make their stories any less connected. In fact, there are some uncanny parallels between the two.

For starters, both women were born in 1995, both are from South Korea, and both made their mark in the golf world by storming onto the major stage with a bang. Hyo-joo Kim made headlines when she won the 2014 Evian Championship, her first-ever major start, and didn’t just win, but set the record for the lowest 18-hole score in a major (61). Six years later, in 2020, A-Lim Kim did something equally spectacular. She captured the U.S. Women’s Open title in her major debut, coming from five shots behind with a final-round 67.

And while they might not be related, they definitely share determination. Before joining the LPGA Tour, both women grinded it out on the Korean golf circuit. Hyo-joo turned pro in 2012 and racked up wins across Korea, Japan, and Taiwan before bringing her talents to the LPGA Tour in 2015. A-Lim, on the other hand, turned pro a year later and slowly built her momentum on the KLPGA Tour before joining the LPGA Tour in 2021. It’s safe to say that another thing they both have in common is being a late bloomer.

But while the two share the commonality of having one major title each, Hyo-joo’s trophy shelf is a bit more crowded. Since her debut in 2014, she’s gone on to collect seven LPGA Tour wins and over 20 professional titles worldwide. It’s a résumé that firmly places her among the most consistent performers of the last decade, and there’s no doubt she’s currently ranked 9th in the world rankings.

A-Lim, meanwhile, has had fewer victories but just as much impact. Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2021, she’s secured three LPGA wins, including one this season, at the 2025 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. So while Hyo-joo’s path has been more decorated, A-Lim’s story is getting there, too.

But there’s another critical aspect they share in common — winning a major title in their debut appearances.

Hyo-joo Kim and A-Lim Kim share a rare LPGA feat

Winning a major championship on debut is something most golfers wouldn’t even dare to dream of. Yet, both Hyo-joo Kim and A-Lim Kim pulled it off in style, joining one of the most exclusive clubs in the sport. It’s hard to overstate how rare this feat is. Even the world’s top professionals know they’ll lose far more tournaments than they win. Golf is a game of patience, of grinding it out week after week. So to make your very first appearance in a significant, not just as a rookie, but with the pressure of the biggest stage, and win? That’s beyond remarkable.

In fact, it’s so rare that it took 72 years for someone to match Beverly Hanson’s 1951 achievement of winning on her professional debut. That player was Rose Zhang, who stunned the field at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open in her first week as a pro, edging Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff. The win launched her into stardom, and she backed it up with another LPGA title the following season, proving it wasn’t beginner’s luck.

Even more recently, Lottie Woad repeated the magic in 2025, winning the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open just days after turning pro. It came during a stellar amateur run, including a victory on the LET and a top-three finish at the Evian Championship. Meanwhile, Lydia Ko, now a household name, came close, winning the 2013 Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in Taiwan.

But none of these are major events, and that’s what makes Hyo-joo Kim and A-Lim Kim’s achievements stand out even more. It’s a feat that cements your name in the history books, and both Hyo-joo and A-Lim did just that. No wonder people think they’re related. Turns out, they’re just bonded by brilliance.