China’s Yin Ruoning won the Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday (Jun 25) by making a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole to claim her first major victory.
The 20-year-old Shanghai native finished 72 holes at Baltusrol on eight-under 276 and defeated Japan’s Yuka Saso by one stroke. She shot a four-under par 67.
The top prize of US$1.5 million went to Yin Ruoning. Thus, she followed Feng Shanshan, who won the 2012 Women’s PGA, as the only other Chinese woman to win a major championship.
“It’s amazing,” Yin said. “It’s just unreal.”
Saso, a 22-year-old Philippine-born Japanese star who won the 2021 US Women’s Open, birdied the par-5 18th to match Yin for the lead at 7-under on the rain-soaked layout at Springfield, New Jersey.
Yin answered by landing her approach 3m from the hole and rolled in the tension-packed birdie putt for the victory in the year’s second women’s major tournament.
“After the tee shot I saw Yuka make an incredible birdie here, I knew I had to make birdie at this hole to win the championship and I’m glad I did it,” Yin said.
An early afternoon storm halted play for almost two hours, but after play resumed Yin birdied the 13th and 14th to grab a share of the lead, parred the next three holes as rivals faltered, and won at the last after hitting every green in regulation in the final two rounds.
“For last couple days, my ball striking was perfect,” Yin said. “I only missed six greens in four days so I think my ball striking was pretty good.
“My goal for today, just no three-putts. And I did it too. I didn’t think too much. Just no three-putts Because last few days I made five bogeys and four of them were three-putts.”