Ji wins! China on top in historic tourney

Under bright sunshine at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club in Jiangsu province, Japan's Miyuki Takeuchi and China's Ji Yuai and Lin Qianhui teed off together in the final round of the Mitsubishi Electric Automation Women's Open on Saturday.

Framed by blooming magnolias and lush greenery, the occasion marked a historic first — players from the CLPG Tour competing against their counterparts from the Ladies Professional Golf Association of Japan (JLPGA).

Eventually Ji, the 2024 CLPG Tour Order of Merit winner, won the co-hosted event with a three-underpar total of 213, securing her fourth career CLPG Tour title. The 20-year-old also claimed a winner's purse of 4.5 million yen ($30,136), but, perhaps more importantly, earned a coveted wildcard entry into the JLPGA Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies Golf Tournament in October.

"I'm from Dalian, Liaoning province, which is quite close to Japan, and I've always dreamed of competing on the JLPGA Tour," Ji said. "This opportunity means a lot to me.