Updated: March, 2024

RAN HONG

The Facts
Birthday: June 23, 1986
Rookie Year on KLPGA: 2005
Birthplace: South Korea
Best LPGA Finish: 4th (2009 Hana Bank-Kolon Championship)
Best LPGA Major Finish: None
Height: 5' 5"
2024 LPGA Status: Retired; formerly on KLPGA Tour
Nicknames: None Known
Sponsors: Samchully, MU Sports
How's her English?: Unknown
Hobbies: Unknown
Road to the LPGA: Still on KLPGA tour

Capsule Bio

Ran Hong turned professional in 2004 and played a junior tour in Korea. She quickly had success there, notching top three finishes in four of the five events she played, including a win. In 2005, she joined the KLPGA. She was a decent player that year, even finishing in fifth place at the Shinsegae.

Ran Hong improved significantly in 2006. That year, she had four top tens on tour and finished ninth on the money list. She also had several good chances to win. Her best performance came at the Shinsegae, which she led much of the week, only to lose to Jee Young Lee at the very end. Still, her tie for second was her best KLPGA finish yet.

Talented and stylish, Ran Hong won the KLPGA's Best Dresser award in 2006. In 2007, she finished 10th on the money list.

Hong had a great 2008 season. She started it with a 7th place at the China Open. After that, she had top 20s in 7 of her next 8 events. But then, almost out of the blue, she ripped off a brilliant win at the year's 2nd KB Star Tour event. Just a couple of weeks later, she won again at the Lakeside Women's Open. These two results insured her another year in the top ten on the money list.

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At the end of the year, Hong showed she had other talents when she joined four other top KLPGA stars in a dance number (!) at the year ending KLPGA Awards Show.

2009 was far less impressive for Hong. She made five top tens with no wins and finished 13th on the money list. But she had two great moments. The first came at the Hite Cup, a Major for the first time in 2009. She was tied for the lead with Hee Kyung Seo entering the final round, but stumbled to 4th while Seo won. Later, she also finished 4th at the Hana Bank-Kolon Championship. This was by far her best ever LPGA finish; she was also the top KLPGA player on the leaderboard.

In 2010, Ran Hong returned to the winner's circle with a victory at the S-OIL Champions Inivitational in June. She also had a second place finish and five other top tens. She finished 9th on the money list that year.

Hong's 2011 on the KLPGA was considerably less accomplished than 2010 had been. She only had two top tens all year, with her best finish a 5th. She finished 33rd on the money list.

She did considerably better playing on the LPGA tour. She was invited to play at the Evian Masters and had a great week, putting herself into the final group on Sunday with Ai Miyazato, a former champ at the event. Hong struggled a bit in the spotlight and faded to 6th, but that was still a great finish which earned her nearly $100,000.

At the end of the year, the popular Hong acted as the co-host of the KLPGA's Award Show.

Ran had a pretty good 2012 season, although she didn't get a win. She finished 12th on the tour money list with about 225 million won earned. She notched an impressive nine top tens, including a third, two fourths and a fifth. Hong also played two LPGA events, including the Evian, but did not factor in either one.

Ran finished 33rd on the KLPGA money list in 2013. She had one top ten, a fourth at the E1 Charity Open.

Ran Hong had a return to form in 2014. She finished 15th on the KLPGA money list with four top tens. She came close to winning at the MetLife KLPGA Championship, but was caught and passed by Kyu Jung Baek in the final round; Hong finished second. She also a third place finish at the Woori Financial.

Ran struggled more in 2015. She only finished 52nd on the year's money list. She had three top tens, her best finish being a 7th at the S-OIL Champions event in June. She earned a little more than 100 million won for the year. However, she was named one of the ten official marketing stars for the tour, featured in the advertising campaigns for the KLPGA in 2015.

Hong had a more successful season in 2016. She finished 38th on the money list with about 162 million won earned. She had five top tens during the season, her best finish a runner up at the Caido MBC Plus Women's Open in July.

Ran Hong finished 46th on the 2017 KLPGA money list. No wins, but she did have a pair of fifth place finishes.

Ran got her 2018 season off to a bang. After two mediocre tournaments to start the year, she won the Brunei Ladies Open, the first ever KLPGA event contested in the country of Brunei. She didn't win again in 2018, but still finished 29th on the money list with over 200 million won earned. Her win was her only top ten of the year.

Hong finished 51st on the money list in 2019 with around 125 million won earned. She had two top tens, a 5th and a 6th.

In 2020, the world was hit with the Covid19 pandemic. All sports leagues, including the LPGA and KLPGA, were massively affected by it; many events were canceled or shifted around the schedule, and fans were forbidden from attending. Hong finished 59th on the season money list, with 83 million won earned. She had one top ten, a 5th place at the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open.

In 2021, Ran Hong set the all time record for most rounds played on the KLPGA, becoming the first to ever play more than 1000. Otherwise, it was a rather unremarkable year. She earned 82 million won and finished 78th on the money list. Her best finish was a 13th place. At the end of the season, Ran officially retired from the tour. Good luck to her in the future!

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