American Angel Yin won the Buick LPGA Shanghai in a playoff to become the 2023 LPGA Tour’s 12th Rolex First-Time Winner – a new record for most first-time winners in a single season.
Making her 159th LPGA Tour start, Yin defeated compatriot and Rolex World Rankings No. 1 Lilia Vu with a birdie on the first extra hole. Yin carded rounds 70, 69, 65 and 70 while Vu signed in scores of 72, 67, 67 and 68 to finish 72 holes tied on 14-under-par.
Both players hit the fairway in the playoff, and both had birdie looks from opposite sides of the pin. A miss by Vu meant it came down to Yin to seal the deal in front of her mother’s home country fans. As the ball dropped, Yin was visibly relieved to get into the LPGA Tour winner’s circle for the first time since turning professional in 2016.
“Honestly, I’m still living in the moment so much that I haven’t been able to draw on the past to think about the journey and where I am right now. I’m still so much in the present, and I think sometimes in golf you have to be like that. That’s where I am right now,” said Yin, who has one title on the Ladies European Tour having won the 2017 Omega Dubai Ladies Classic.
“I’m happy that my first win was actually in Shanghai. I’ve come close twice in 2018 and 2019 before COVID, and so it feels really good to be able to claim this title and obviously do it in a playoff with Lilia,” added the 25-year-old.
A gracious Vu paid tribute to Yin, saying: “Today was just Angel’s day. I’m happy for her.”
Five players finished in a tie for third on 13-under-par, including Korean Hye-Jin Choi who shot a superb final round 64, and Yu Liu who ended the week as the top player from China among the 22 in the field.
The five players who tied for eighth a shot further back included Sweden’s Maja Stark, who had held the lead or a share of it for the first three rounds. Defending champion Danielle Kang of the United States settled for a tie for 17th on nine-under-par.
Malaysia’s Kelly Tan carded rounds of 71, 69, 72 and 75 to finish in tied 55th position on one-under-par 287.
Malaysian golf fans can catch the stars of the LPGA Tour in action this October 26-29, when the US$3 million Maybank Championship tees off at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. The field includes six Malaysians in Tan, who is Maybank’s ASEAN Ambassador, 2023 Epson Tour Rookie of the Year Natasha Andrea Oon, Ashley Lau, Alyaa Abdulghany, and amateur talents Jeneath Wong and Ng Jing Xuen.
| Results (Top 5 and ties) | ||
| 274 (-14) | Angel Yin (USA) | 70 -69-65-70 |
| Lilia Vu (USA) | 72-67-67-68 | |
| Yin won on first playoff hole | ||
| 275 (-13) | Hye-Jin Choi (KOR) | 72-67-72- 64 |
| Esther Henseleit (GER) | 68-69-70-68 | |
| Yu Liu (CHN) | 68-67-72-68 | |
| Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) | 72-66-68- 69 | |
| Pavarisa Yoktuan (THA) | 68-68-69-70 | |
