"Billiards Queen" Kim Ga-young (Hana Card) continued her smooth march toward back-to-back titles at the Professional Billiards Association (PBA) season opener.
Kim defeated Kim Da-hee 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-3) in the Round of 16 of the women's LPBA division at the 2026-2027 PBA Tour season opener, the Woori Financial Capital PBA-LPBA Championship, held Thursday at the KINTEX PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Kim Min-ah (NH NongHyup Card) defeated Lee Ji-eun 3-1, while Seo Han-sol (Huons), Yong Hyun-ji (Welcome Savings Bank), Kim Bo-mi (NH NongHyup Card), Higashiuchi Natsumi (Japan, Crown Haitai), Lee Yu-ju, and Lee Hwa-yeon also advanced to the quarterfinals.
Kim Ga-young, aiming for back-to-back wins at the tournament and her 19th career LPBA title, will face Lee Yu-ju on Friday at 3 p.m. for a spot in the semifinals. The remaining quarterfinal matchups are Kim Min-ah vs. Yong Hyun-ji (3 p.m.), Seo Han-sol vs. Higashiuchi, and Kim Bo-mi vs. Lee Hwa-yeon (both 8 p.m.).
In the PBA division, Cho Jae-ho (NH NongHyup Card), Kang Dong-koong, and Choi Sung-won (both Huons), who represent Korean three-cushion billiards, all advanced to the Round of 32. In the Round of 64 (four-set format), Cho dropped the first set to Lee Jung-ik before winning three straight sets for a 3-1 victory. Kang and Choi also posted 3-1 wins over Tran Duc Minh (Vietnam, Harim) and Roh Jong-hyun, respectively. "Youngest world champion" Kim Young-won (Harim) prevailed in a tiebreaker shootout in the Round of 64, following another tiebreaker win in the Round of 128. Going first in the shootout, Kim scored seven points to edge out Won Ho-su, who managed only two, advancing to the Round of 32. Billiards influencer Hacker, who had ousted Daniel Sanchez (Spain, Welcome Savings Bank) in the Round of 128, continued his upset run with a 3-0 sweep over Antonio Montes (Spain).
