Choi Hye-jin blows late lead, settles for 2nd place in LPGA event in Shanghai

Choi Hye-jin, fresh off 11 victories in her home country, appeared poised for a maiden LPGA Tour triumph at the Buick LPGA Shanghai event in Shanghai. However, she slipped to a runner-up spot after squandering a late lead. Choi's final round was a one-under 71, which pushed her four-round total to an impressive 10-under 278. Chinese star Yin Ruoning claimed victory on home turf with a scintillating 11-under total, thanks to a four-under 68 on the final day.

Choi, who marked her LPGA debut in 2022 after 11 triumphs in South Korea from 2017 to 2020, was chasing her first LPGA title in her 124th start. She entered the final round with a slender one-stroke lead over fellow South Korean Amy Yang. After a stellar first four holes, Choi's lead ballooned to three strokes with a birdie at the fourth.

However, a string of bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes saw her trail by just three strokes. Yin and Choi shared the lead at nine-under through 15 holes, with Yang and Japanese golfer Takeda trailing at seven-under. Despite a pair of birdies at the 12th and 13th holes, Yin took the lead with a birdie at the 16th hole, pushing her advantage to two strokes.

Choi's late bid for redemption with a birdie at the 18th hole was not enough as Yin secured her one-stroke victory. This was Choi's fifth career runner-up finish, propelling her career earnings to just over US$7.2 million. The LPGA Tour will next head to South Korea for the BMW Ladies Championship in the coastal town of Haenam.