Angel Yin is currently leading the Aon Risk Reward Challenge and if she maintains her position, she will earn a bonus of $1 million on top of the $1,617.216 she has earned on tour so far this season. This is without the money earned at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. It boasts a purse of $7 million and a $2 million winner’s cheque.
A player’s career has taken a dramatic turn for the better. Earlier this season, he considered asking for sponsor exemptions to receive an infusion of money by writing tournaments during the spring Asian swing.
Yin decided against it. He thought it would be better to play a light schedule so that he could be refreshed for CME. However, the money situation for a Solheim Cup athlete who hasn’t been sponsored in four years is shocking.
“It is hard when you go through a bad period of a few months,” said Yin. “Your bank becomes pretty dry.”
Yin is not bitter about her lack of sponsors. She says that she has had a recent change of heart.
“I don’t think I’m quite as desperate as I was before,” said Yin. “I used be very desperate. Now I’m not as desperate. “I think that this experience of not being sponsored has helped me to learn about my own worth as a human in life.”
Inkster is a member of the LPGA Hall of Fame and World Golf Hall of Fame. She was Yin’s teammate on Inkster’s Solheim Cup 2017 team, which Yin described as a second mother to her. Inkster says that while sponsor money may be increasing at the top, she doesn’t think it will filter down to the lower ranks.
Inkster said, “I believe that a lot these companies are missing out on the opportunity to market women’s golf.”
Angel Yin poses for a photo with the United States team, including their captain Stacy Lewis, her husband, and daughter, during an official photo call before The Solheim Cup, which will be held at Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Casares on September 19, 2023. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images).
Even Yin’s signature headwear was purchased at the Hacienda Golf Club pro shop. The G/Fore hat, with HACI emblazoned across the top, looked like a giant banner. Yin explained that G4 began sending her hats when the pro shop at Hacienda Golf Club couldn’t keep up with demand. She said that members like the hats because they can identify her.
She said, “Exactly, you can see it in your face.” You can see it from a mile. The cameras aren’t always so close, and if you have a tiny logo, they can’t see it.
Yin is not paid to wear the hats.
Last month, Yin was a familiar face in China. The power player with soft-handedness won the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai in her 159th LPGA start. It was her first LPGA win. Yin defeated former World No. In a playoff, Yin defeated former World No. Both women faced off against one another earlier this year in the Chevron.
Yin was unable to maintain the momentum as she left Malaysia with back pain last week. She also decided to pull out of the Annika driven at Pelican next week. After Pelican, the Aon winner will also be determined.
“Everyone is doing math,” said Yin after her caddie helped her understand the system.
“But in the past two months, everyone has been talking about Aon.” Everyone and their mothers are texting about Aon. You’d be stupid to not know and do the math about it. It’s $1 million. It doesn’t matter what inflation rates are in the world. This is a lot money.”
Yin has a 28-under-par score on the 30 holes she played during the course of this season. Attahaya Thitikul is second behind Yin, and she needs to make at least two eagles in order to surpass her.
Inkster selected Yin to be on the 2017 Solheim Cup Team. She saw a young player with a lot of potential, but she needed to mature in her course management.
Inkster said, “She is super stubborn.” It has taken me some time to get her.
Angel Yin and Juli inkster from the United States are seen playing with the crowd before Angel Yin’s match against Karine Inkster, of Team Europe at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club during the Solheim Cup final day singles matches on August 20, 2017 in West Des Moines. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images).
Inkster also encouraged Yin, who is often stoic on the golf green, to display more personality. Yin was determined to show her personality in Shanghai.
Inkster said, “I believe you can be successful and show your emotions at the same time.” You could tell whether I shot 78 or 68.
Yin is in line to win a lot of money this season. However, the best advice Inkster gave her was “Don’t just do it for the cash.”
“It is our job, we do it to make money,” Yin laughed. “I mean everyone here is doing it for money,” Yin said.
She always tells to me not to look at it that way. You don’t see much more if you just look at it that way. Why I play, what makes you win or why I love golf? There is more to it than money.
I really feel that.
