Ruoning Yin’s victory in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a historic one, but the most impressive feat was the 37 consecutive putts she made to finish the championship. This is the longest streak of any LPGA player in 2023. It’s even more impressive that it happened on the weekend before a major championship at a brutal test like Baltusrol Lower Course.
Yin (20) was leading the LPGA for Strokes Gained per Round in KPMG Performance Insights. This data platform is available now to media and fans . She also led in this category at the KPMG with 2.39 strokes gained per round. Yin was only one of four players to have gained at least 1.5 strokes in each round.
“I think I’m more mature,” said Yin about how she has grown since joining Tour 2022. “Like before I would just aim straight at the flag with every shot. But right now, I think I’m playing smarter, more intelligent right now.”
Yin is now the second Chinese golfer to win a major, after Shanshan Feng (2012). She closed Sunday with a bogey free 67 and had only six bogeys over the weekend. This was the same as Stephanie Meadow who finished third.
Yin made 66 out of 72 greens, or 92 per cent. She made 44 of 48 greens with her approach shot from the fairway.
“My ball-striking has been perfect for the past couple of days,” said Yin, after clinching his title with a dramatic 12 foot birdie putt at the 72nd.
Yin’s first LPGA title was won in March, at the DIO Implant LA Open. She works out of Tranquilo golf course in Lake Buena Vista (Florida), the former location of the LPGA season-opening Tournament of Champions. Her swing coach is Holton Freeman.
Freeman, after her first win on Instagram, wrote: “I knew immediately that when I met her about a year ago she had special intangibles. These are hard to teach someone/player who doesn’t have them.”
“Trust and confidence, performing under pressure, refusing give in to chaos and adversity etc. All of these were on display yesterday, when she made four consecutive birdies after making three consecutive bogeys to lose the lead. “A great example for young players to learn from.”
Jon Lehman, Yin’s caddie said that his new boss was wise beyond her age, and she played more like a 35 year old under pressure. Lehman was called in by Yin to assist her this week on the greens. After losing over six strokes in the putting rounds of the second and third round, she improved 0.41 on Sunday. She struggled mostly with speed control.
Yin climbed to No. 5 in the world after becoming only the second woman to win on Lower Course, joining 1961 U.S. Women’s Open winner Mickey Wright. Yin rose to No. 5 in the World after becoming the only woman who won on the Lower Course. She joined 1961 U.S. Open winner Mickey Wright. Next, she will make her second USWO at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
