Yin-credible, Yin-spirational

Yin Ruoning became the second Chinese mainland winner in LPGA Tour history on Sunday, holding off Georgia Hall at the DIO Implant LA Open in California.

"I dreamed about this for so many times and it finally came true today," Yin said. "Wasn't easy at all."

The 20-year-old Yin closed with an eventful 1-under 70 for a one-stroke victory over Hall, the English player whose short birdie attempt on the 18th to force a playoff slid by the right side. Recently retired Feng Shanshan is the only other Chinese mainland champion, winning 10 times on the LPGA Tour.

"That means a lot, not just for me, also for China," Yin said. "Shanshan is always my goal here, and I think she got 10 tour wins here, and, yeah, it's just my first one. She's definitely the person I look up to."

Yin finished at 15-under 269 at Palos Verdes Golf Club, making six birdies and five bogeys in the final round in her 20th tour start.

She had a nine-hole stretch without a par, making a birdie on No 2, three straight bogeys, four straight birdies and a bogey on No 10. After dropping a stroke on 13, she birdied 14 and parred the final four.

Yin, in her second season on the US tour, started the day with the lead but appeared in deep trouble after three straight bogeys at the third, fourth and fifth holes.

But she held her nerve, reeling off four straight birdies from the sixth through the ninth to get her title bid back on track.

"I fought so hard today," Yin said. "I just made three bogeys in a row on the front nine. I'm so happy that I fought back."

Hall closed with a bogey-free 67.She also was second the previous week in Arizona, losing a playoff to Celine Boutier.

"I was really happy just to be in this position on the weekend, especially my 9-under yesterday," Hall said. "Just really proud of myself again. Just really gutted not to at least get to another playoff. But a bogey-free round on the final day in tough conditions out there, so just on to the next one."

Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand and Kim Hyo-joo of South Korea tied for third at 12-under, with Tavatanakit shooting 65 and Kim 71.

"A lot more confident than where I was even a week ago," Tavantanakit said. "To be able to close it off and post a really good round today, I was really proud of myself. I had so much scarring tissue from the course. I played here in college and, you know, coming down especially the back nine, it's not easy: 11, 12, 13.... I was really being patient, and I think that helped a lot."

Nelly Korda (67) and Carlota Ciganda (66) were 11-under.

Yin, who turned pro in 2020 and won her first three China LPGA starts, took a two-shot lead into the final round and birdied the second hole.

Then came three straight bogeys before she righted the ship — she had just one par through the first 10 holes.

"Like I said yesterday, I can make birdie at this course for sure, and I just told myself got to be patient," she said.

After bogeys at the 10th and 14th, Yin fought back again with a birdie at the 14th — where her second shot took a lucky bounce off a tree.

Yin made seven of 16 cuts as a rookie last season, including a tie for 33rd at this event in 2022 at Wilshire Country Club. She is, at 20 years, 6 months and 5 days, the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour since Atthaya Thitikul at the 2022 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (19 years, 7 months, 5 days).

The LPGA will now take a week off before the Lotte Championship in Hawaii, with the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, from April 20-23 at the Club at Carlton Woods near Houston, Texas.

Koepka wins again

Brooks Koepka will ride into the Masters next week on the momentum of a victory.

Koepka fired a 3-under 68 to stave off Sebastian Munoz of Colombia and win LIV Golf Orlando by one stroke on Sunday in Winter Garden, Florida.

Koepka finished the three-day event at 15-under 198. The four-time major winner became the first player to win two LIV events after taking the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah last October in Saudi Arabia.

"I've been playing good for a few weeks," Koepka said. "It just hasn't really shown on the scorecard, making dumb mistakes. It was nice to come out this week and play mistake-free pretty much."

Behind Munoz, Patrick Reed and South Africa's Dean Burmester tied for third at 12-under.

A silver lining for Munoz was that his team, Torque, beat Koepka's Smash by a single stroke, 36-under to 35-under, to claim the team title. Dustin Johnson's 4Aces came in third at 34-under.

"I just knew that I had Brooks against me, and I couldn't let him beat me (in counting scores) because I wanted Torque to stay on top," Munoz said.

Koepka began the day with a three-shot lead and made three birdies on the front nine at Orange County National. But Munoz, playing with him in the final group, birdied five of his first 10 holes.

Koepka birdied the 14th to make it a two-shot margin again, and both players bogeyed the 15th. Munoz then chipped in for birdie at No 16 to get back within one.

At No 18, Munoz missed a long putt for birdie that would have forced a playoff.

Agencies