Maiden Major Triumph for China Prodigy Yin
2 min read

New Jersey, United States: With her stunning victory in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Yin Ruoning has elevated herself into exalted company.

Yin fired a final-round 67 at Baltusrol Golf Club for a four-day total of eight-under 276 to claim a one-stroke victory from Yuka Saso.

In so doing she became only the second mainland Chinese golfer to win a professional Major championship, following Feng Shanshan who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 11 years ago.

Yin’s win at the DIO Implant LA Open earlier this year made her just the second winner from China in the LPGA Tour’s history, joining Feng.

Yin was an accomplished amateur in China, winning nine titles in 2019 before turning professional. On the Asian scene, Yin first made her mark when representing China in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Thailand in 2018.

The China team, which also included Yin Xiaowen and Liu Wenbo, tied for seventh at Thana City in what was a star-studded line-up in the Asia-Pacific Ladies Amateur Invitational Team Championship. Also in the starting line-up were Saso (representing the Philippines), Thai Atthaya Thitikul, Australian Grace Kim and Japan’s Yuna Nishimura and Ayake Furue.

Yin now adds her name to a long list of Queen Sirikit Cup players who have gone on to achieve Major victories in the professional game, including compatriot Feng, Saso, Australians Karrie Webb, Hannah Green and Minjee Lee, Chinese Taipei’s Tseng Ya-ni, Japan’s Ai Miyazato, Koreans Pak Se-ri and Shin Ji-yae and New Zealander Lydia Ko.

At Baltusrol, in addition to Saso finishing second, Furue tied for eighth, Kim was joint 14th and Nishimura was equal 39th. Atthaya missed the cut.

Saso and Nishimura were part of a four-way play-off at the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in 2018 when Atthaya triumphed. For all her success as an amateur, Yin did not have the opportunity to participate in the WAAP.

After turning pro in 2020, Yin won three straight titles on the China LPGA Tour in her first three starts.

Reflecting on her Baltusrol victory, Yin, who holed what proved to a decisive 12-foot birdie putt on the final green, said: “I’m glad that I can be the second Chinese player after Shanshan to win a Major. Like I said after the LA Open, I think it’s going to push a lot of kids to play golf.

“When I was on the 18th tee and I saw the leaderboard, I knew I had a one-shot lead. After my tee shot, I saw Yuka make an incredible birdie (on 18), and I knew I had to make birdie at this hole to win the championship. I’m glad I did it.

“When I was walking to (the winner’s press conference), I said: ‘Oh, wow, Major winner. It’s amazing. It’s just unreal.”