| -15 R Yin (Chn); -14 G Hall (Eng); -12 P Tavatanakit (Tha); HJ Kim (Kor) |
| Selected: -11 C Ciganda (Spa), N Korda (US); -5 C Hull (Eng), J Korda (US) |
England’s Georgia Hall finished runner-up for the second successive week on the LPGA Tour as Ruoning Yin won the LA Open title at Palos Verdes Golf Club.
Hall, who started the final round four shots adrift of overnight leader Yin, missed a six-foot birdie putt to force a play-off as she closed with a 67.
Yin overcame a run of three successive bogeys on the front nine to post a one-under 70 to win by one on 15 under.
The 20-year-old’s first LPGA Tour win is just the second by a Chinese player.
Yin, who follows the 2012 Women’s PGA Championship victory by Shanshan Feng, said: “She is definitely the person I look up to.
“I fought so hard and I’m so happy. It means a lot, not just for me, but for China.”
Yin parred one hole on the front nine, the first. She followed that with a birdie on the second to move five clear of Hall.
However, the pair were level after five holes. Hall birdied the fourth and fifth to get to 12 under, while Yin was having her run of bogeys.
The Chinese player bounced back with four successive birdies to establish a three-shot lead after nine holes and despite two more bogeys on the 10th and 13th holes, she kept one ahead of Hall.
Yin had a 20-foot putt on the last to win the tournament but after it lipped out, Hall had a chance from a third of that distance to send the championship into extra holes.
However, the 2018 Women’s Open champion, who was beaten in a play-off by Celine Boutier at last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship, pulled the putt and Yin nudged in from a couple of feet to seal the win.
Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand carded a six-under 65 to finish joint third with Hyo Joo Kim (71) on 12 under, while Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (66) and world number two Nelly Korda (67) were a shot further back.
