China’s top lady golfer Ruoning Yin claimed her fourth career LPGA Tour victory with a barnstorming finish at the Buick LPGA Shanghai, going an incredible 17-under-par over the weekend for a six-shot victory at Qizhong Garden Golf Club.
The Shanghai native earned her second title of the season in dominating fashion, finishing with 25-under-par 263 total to shatter the 72-hole tournament scoring record first set in 2019 by Danielle Kang.
Yin had opened her campaign with rounds of 70 and 66, reaching the halfway mark four shots behind leader Sei Young Kim of South Korea, who shot a stunning first round of 10-under-par 62 and followed up with 70. The Chinese player signed in a superb third round 63 to climb up the leaderboard into second spot on 17-under-par, just one behind 54-hole leader Mao Saigo of Japan (68, 65, 65) with Kim (62, 70, 69) two shots further back.
Playing in front of her hometown crowd and feeding off their support, Yin made birdie on the first hole to tie Saigo at the top of the leaderboard on 18-under-par. Yin’s only other birdie on the front nine came at Hole 5, which pushed her up into the sole lead on 19-under-par heading into the turn.
The back nine was when Yin really caught fire, nailing six birdies including on the last two holes for a closing 64, which proved more than enough to seal the win.
“The first day my tee shot wasn’t very good, so I had a call with my coach, Holton Freeman. He’s in L.A. right now and he fixed my tee shot. I think this course, especially since I’m feeling good with my iron shots right now, if I can put my ball on the fairway, it’s just going to make it easier for myself,” she noted.
“I think I just putted really well, and my approach shot is pretty good and tee shot is really good. I pieced everything together,” added Yin, who is the first player from China to win the Buick LPGA Shanghai in its four editions so far.
This is the second straight season that Yin has won multiple times. Earlier this year, she triumphed in the Dow Championship with partner Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who finished T5 in Shanghai on 16-under-par.
LPGA Tour rookie Saigo shot a closing 71 to settle for joint second on 19-under-par with Kim, who closed with 68. This was Saigo’s second runner-up and seventh top-10 finish this season.
Kim meanwhile earned her third top-five finish at the Buick LPGA Shanghai and her fourth top-five of the season.
The Buick LPGA Shanghai is the first stop of the LPGA Tour’s late season Asian swing, which includes the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club from October 24-27.
