Choi Hye-jin blows late lead, lets maiden LPGA title slip away in Shanghai

On the verge of claiming her maiden LPGA Tour victory, Choi Hye-jin settled for a runner-up finish after frittering away a late lead in Shanghai on Sunday.

Choi finished second at the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai after shooting a one-under 71 in the final round for a four-round total of 10-under 278. Yin Ruoning of China won on her home soil at 11-under, after carding a four-under 68 on Sunday.

Choi, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 after collecting 11 victories in her native Korea from 2017 to 2020, was going for her first LPGA title in her 124th start. She instead took her fifth career runner-up finish.

Prior to this tournament, Choi had earned just over $7.2 million in her LPGA career, the most by a player without a victory.

At nine-under through three rounds, Choi had a one-shot lead over fellow Korean Amy Yang entering Sunday. This was Choi's fifth time with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes.

Choi birdied the fourth hole to move to 10-under, and Yang's shaky start, with two bogeys and a birdie over her first four holes, gave Choi a three-shot cushion. Playing in the same group with the two Koreans, Yin was also at seven-under through five holes.

Choi then stumbled with consecutive bogeys at the par-4 seventh and par-5 eighth, allowing Yin to pull into a tie with Choi by making a birdie at the 10th.

Both players birdied the par-3 12th to get to nine-under, with both Yang and Rio Takeda of Japan lurking at seven-under.

With Yang and Takeda unable to make up more ground, Choi and Yin remained tied atop the leaderboard through 15 holes.

Yin then grabbed sole possession of the lead at 10-under with a birdie on the par-4 16th, while Choi managed only a par.

Yin then pushed her lead to two strokes with another birdie at the par-3 17th, as Choi failed to keep pace and settled for par.

Choi's birdie at the par-5 18th was not enough, as Yin saved par to close out her one-stroke victory.

The LPGA Tour will take its annual Asian swing to Korea in the new week, as Haenam County, Jeonnam-Gwangju, hosts the BMW Ladies Championship beginning Thursday.

Yonhap