SPRINGFIELD (N.J.) — Ruoning Yin would tell her mother that if only she had been 10 centimeters higher, she might have played basketball instead of golf. She’s been a Steph fan for nine long years. That is a lot of time for someone only 20. Yin has become a household name in China’s sports scene after she won a major championship. She is now the only Chinese player to have achieved this feat.
Shanghai’s Yin is a frequent leaderboard observer. She knew that standing on the 18th tee, she had a one-shot advantage. After watching Yuka Saso, the player in front of her birdie the last hole, Yin realized she needed to birdie her own final hole to win the championship.
“I felt like I would make it,” said Yin. “And I did.” It’s an odd feeling.
Yin was not even playing golf at the time Feng won the KPMG Women’s PGA, the Wegmans Championship in 2012, the first Chinese major. Ronnie, also known as the “Ronnie”, was just 10 1/2 years old when she picked up her first club. That same year, Xiyu, her landlord and good friend, joined the LPGA. Lin was in with a chance to win the LPGA this week, but a bogey on her final hole left her two strokes short.
Lin was talking to the press at the microphone when Yin drained his winning putt.
Lin said, “It is amazing.” She’s young and so talented. She is definitely good at handling pressure.”
Yin rents Lin’s second home in Orlando. Lin had joked that she was considering raising the rent because Yin had won the LPGA earlier in this season. When asked by Yin after her win if rent would go up with the $1.5 million winnings, Yin replied: “Actually I’m considering buying her house.”
The interview room was filled with laughter.
Rose Zhang , a 20-year old in the field who was able to win the day-end trophy, certainly created a buzz on Sunday. The former Stanford player, who had won her LPGA debut earlier in the month, was one stroke behind on the back nine, but finished in eighth place with a three-shot deficit.
Zhang said, “It was certainly very tense.” “I felt the energy of the crowds.”
Yin became a professional in 2020. She set a new record by winning her first three tournaments consecutively on the China LPGA Tour. She received her LPGA card in 2021 at the Q-Series.
Yin says that her English has significantly improved since she moved to the U.S. and her golf game is now more mature. She used to aim for the pin at every hole, but now she has a more tactical approach.
Jon Lehman is her new caddie. He’s a veteran looper on the Korn Ferry Tour who reached out to friends working for the LPGA recently to find out what positions might be available. Lehman sent Yin a text message about 20 minutes after she let go of her previous caddie. Lehman and Yin met at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Then, the next week, Lehman went to Baltusrol for a preview.
Lehman said, “This is a ball-striker’s course.”
Lehman was caddying for the first time in a major tournament. He kept his player calm when putts didn’t fall early in the round. Yin made five three-putts in the previous week, but he played Sunday bogey free.
“He knows the golf course very well,” said Yin. “Especially on the greens.” He knows the entire green.
“I think it was our first tournament, at ShopRite. I read the greens myself. This week, he told me that he is really good at reading. I thought, “OK, let’s check it out.” Yeah, he’s amazing.”
Yin is now a member of a long list of former champions of Baltusrol, including Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson. She was awestruck when her name was mentioned alongside those legends.
After a week’s break, Yin will return to action in the U.S. Women’s Open, at Pebble Beach. This is the first major women’s event at this iconic track. Yin had played at Pebble Beach once before, when she was 12 years old. It was during a winter training camp. She only remembers that the rough there was thick and she shot an 88.
Yin, who was born in the same year as Feng and played on the LPGA with him, said that Feng’s 10-time LPGA champion status and his former ranking of No. She says that the No. 1 has been her biggest inspiration.
“I’d say,” said Yin “she is definitely the goal I’m chasing.”
