-14 A Yin* (US), L Vu (US); -13 H-J Choi (Kor), E Henseleit (Ger), Y Liu (Chn), A Jutanugarn (Tha), P Yoktuan (Tha). *=won at first play-off hole |
Selected others: -12 S Meadow (NI), M Stark (Swe) |
American Angel Yin beat Solheim Cup team-mate and world number one Lilia Vu in a play-off to win the LPGA Shanghai.
Yin, 25, claimed her first victory on the LPGA Tour in her 159th start with a birdie at the first play-off hole after finishing tied with Vu on 14 under par.
Vu forced the play-off with a four-under 68 in the final round to pull two shots back on overnight leader Yin.
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, 31, also went low with a 65 to finish tied for eighth place, two shots back.
“Throughout the round I was thinking to myself, it’s not easy to win. It’s not easy to win,” said world number 35 Yin, who took home $315,000 (£260,000) – part of a $2.1m (£1.7m) prize fund.
“It’s been a special week.”
A dramatic final day at Qizhong Garden Country Club saw the lead change hands repeatedly.
Sweden’s Solheim Cup star Maja Stark started the day in a share of the lead with Yin but fell back into the field, eventually finishing in a five-way tie for eighth place on 12 under after a level-par round of 72.
Meadow also reached 12 under after producing seven birdies in a bogey-free final round that followed a marked progression through the tournament – her 65 coming after earlier efforts of 74, 71 and 66.
Five players ended one shot behind the leading pair, with South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi the pick of those after carding a blistering eight-under 64.
British Open champion Vu, 26, was in the penultimate group and finished with a par four on the last to take the clubhouse lead.
But Yin held her nerve to claim the par she needed on the 18th to finish tied with the two-time major winner, after finding the green with an approach shot from a fairway bunker.
Yin then went one better on the same hole in the play-off, hitting a three on the 18th to clinch victory.