China’s Yin Ruoning becomes women’s golf world No 1, finishing third at LPGA Championship

Yin, who needed a top-four result to overtake Lilia Vu for the top spot, fired a final-round five-under par 67 to finish third on 14-under 274
Yin became only the second Chinese woman to claim the world No 1 ranking after Feng Shanshan, who reached the top from November 2017 to April 2018

LPGA Tour

Agence France-Presse

Published: 6:31am, 11 Sep 2023

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China’s Yin Ruoning became the world number one in women’s golf on Sunday by finishing third at the LPGA Queen City Championship.

The 20-year-old became only the second Chinese woman to claim the world number one ranking after Feng Shanshan, who reached the summit from November 2017 to April 2018.

Yin, who needed a top-four result to overtake American Lilia Vu for the top spot, missed out on a playoff for the Queen City title between Australia’s Minjee Lee and England’s Charley Hull.

But Yin fired a final-round five-under par 67 to finish third on 14-under 274 at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, and become the fifth different player atop the rankings this year.

Yin Ruoning hits from the 9th tee during the final round of the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo: AP

“It’s just amazing,” Yin said. “My mind is blank right now.”

Second-ranked Yin won her first major title in June at the Women’s PGA Championship, two months after collecting her first LPGA victory at the LA Open.

Others atop the rankings this year included New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, Americans Vu and Nelly Korda and South Korea’s Ko Jin-young.

Vu’s three triumphs this year included major wins at the Chevron Championship in April and the Women’s British Open in August.

Yin never managed to share the lead, settling for her fourth third-place finish in five events, but did what she needed to leap to the top of the rankings.

She sandwiched birdies at the par-5 second and fourth holes around another at the par-3 third to charge into third early.

China’s Yin claims maiden major at Women’s PGA Championship

Yin began the back nine with a birdie and added another at the par-5 15th to solidify her hold on the spot, then parred her way to the clubhouse.

“Before this week, I know (depending on) what position I finish, I can be the world number one,” Yin said. “I just keep that in my mind.

“Last hole I checked the leader board. I was like, ‘OK, another week finishing third, but I’m assuming I’ll be the world number one.’”