Greens in regulation is the most intuitive statistic for measuring a player's iron-shot skill and precision. On the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour and the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, Kim Soo-ji (30, Dongbu Corporation) and Yu Hae-ran (25, Daol Financial Group) respectively hold the "Iron Queen" title with dominant numbers. Yet neither has won a title this season. We analyzed the "details" hidden in the data to find out what is holding them back.
According to the KLPGA Tour on Tuesday, Kim Soo-ji, a six-time career winner, ranks first on the tour this season with a greens in regulation rate of 79.90%. This is not just a one-season flash. Kim posted 78.19% in 2023, 80.76% in 2024 and 79.65% in 2025, and is now on track for an extraordinary fourth consecutive year atop the greens in regulation rankings. Including 2021 (9th) and 2022 (4th), she has maintained a top-10 spot in this category for six straight years, giving her iron-shot ability that is genuinely among the best on the tour.
Excellent shots have translated directly into consistent results. Kim made the cut in all 10 events she entered this year and finished in the top 10 on four occasions. Her major detailed statistics are also impressive. She ranks second in the hitting index, which combines driving distance, greens in regulation and fairway accuracy, third in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (2.02 strokes), and third with a top-10 finish rate of 40%.
Although Kim boasts near-perfect shot data, she has yet to win this season. The data shows the decisive reason she has failed to lift a trophy lies on the greens. Her putting success rate when hitting greens is 20.08%, ranking 71st; her Strokes Gained: Putting is -0.42, ranking 97th; and her average putts per round is 31.53, leaving her 108th on the tour.
This "Iron Queen paradox" is also unfolding on the U.S. stage. Yu Hae-ran, now in her fourth year on the LPGA Tour, is also racing to the "Iron Queen" title with dominant data. After ranking fourth in greens in regulation (75.36%) in her 2023 debut season and second (76.80%) in 2024, she rose to first (77.49%) last year and now leads the category this season with 79.88%.
Yu is at the top in every part of the process leading up to the green. Her Strokes Gained: Tee to Green is 3.11 strokes, ranking second behind world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States, and her Strokes Gained: Total of 1.90 ranks a high fourth. Leaning on stable shots, she entered 10 events this season, made the cut in nine and recorded six top-10 finishes.
But putting on the greens has held Yu back as well. This season, Yu averages 1.81 putts when hitting greens, ranking 77th; her Strokes Gained: Putting is -1.22, ranking 141st; and her average putts per round is 30.89, placing her 149th. It is a structure in which she creates birdie chances with tour-best shots, only to give back strokes due to erratic putting.
Kim Soo-ji and Yu Hae-ran wield the most precise and lethal shots on tour, placing near the top in every event. But to win, ultimately, a single stroke on the green is what they desperately need. Judged by shot data alone, they already meet the conditions required to win. If their putters get just a little hotter, the first wins of the season for Kim and Yu may come far sooner than expected.
Golf tours are full of fascinating data. Data Golf is a column that uses various statistics and records to tell the stories of golf in an easy and interesting way. If you have data you are curious about or topics you would like us to cover, please feel free to send them by email anytime.
