SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Twenty-year-old Ruoning Yin of China birdied the 72nd hole to post a bogey-free 67 and win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday at Baltsurol Golf Club.
Yin finished at 8-under 276, edging Japan’s Yuka Saso by a stroke. Despite finding the rough off the tee at the par-5 18th, Yin reached the green in three and sank a roughly 10-foot birdie putt to break a tie with Saso at 7 under.
In April, Yin became the second Chinese winner in LPGA history, joining Shanshan Feng, when she won the DIO Implant LA Open. Ranked No. 25 in the world, Yin began Sunday three shots off the pace of Ireland’s Leona Maguire, whose final-round tumble (74) opened the door for a host of competitors to make a charge.
Yin played a quiet first 12 holes, with 11 pars and a lone birdie at the par-5 seventh, before back-to-back birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 pushed her to 7 under.
She outlasted Saso, Jenny Shin of South Korea and her friend Xiyu Lin of China, each of whom held a share of the lead at some point throughout the afternoon.
The round was delayed by 1 hour and 53 minutes due to a pouring rainstorm.
–By Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media