How did Yin Ruoning beat Choi Hye-jin at Buick LPGA Shanghai?

Yin Ruoning tied Choi Hye-jin with a birdie on the 10th hole, and both players reached nine-under with birdies at the 12th. Yin then moved ahead with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, while Choi made par on both before birdieing the 18th.

What was Choi Hye-jin trying to achieve at the Buick LPGA Shanghai?

Choi Hye-jin was pursuing her first LPGA Tour victory in her 124th start. She joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 after winning 11 times in South Korea from 2017 through 2020.

What did Choi Hye-jin’s runner-up finish mean for her LPGA career?

The result became Choi Hye-jin’s fifth career runner-up finish. Before Buick LPGA Shanghai, she had earned slightly more than $7.2 million on the LPGA Tour, the highest career earnings among players without a tour victory.

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

Listen

Summary

Choi Hye-jin finished second at Buick LPGA Shanghai in Shanghai on Sunday after losing a late lead. She shot a one-under 71 for a 10-under 278 total, while Yin Ruoning won at 11-under after a final-round 68. Choi was seeking her first LPGA Tour title in her 124th start and recorded her fifth career runner-up finish.

Key Facts

Choi entered the final round at nine-under with a one-shot lead over fellow Korean Amy Yang after 54 holes.
Choi moved to 10-under with a birdie on the fourth hole before consecutive bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes allowed Yin Ruoning to catch her.
Yin took sole possession of the lead with a birdie on the 16th hole and extended it to two strokes with another birdie on the 17th.
Before the tournament, Choi had earned just over $7.2 million on the LPGA Tour, the most by a player without a victory.
The LPGA Tour’s next Asian event is the BMW Ladies Championship in Haenam, Korea, beginning Thursday.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 18, 2026 5:17 pm KST

Choi Hye-jin hits a shot during the Buick LPGA Shanghai golf tournament in Shanghai, Oct. 17. AFP-Yonhap

On the verge of claiming her maiden LPGA Tour victory, Choi Hye-jin settled for a runner-up finish after frittering away a late lead in Shanghai on Sunday.

Choi ended up in second place at Buick LPGA Shanghai at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, after shooting one-under 71 in the final round for a four-round total of 10-under 278. Yin Ruoning of China won on her home soil at 11-under, after carding a four-under 68 on Sunday.

Choi, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 after collecting 11 victories in her native South Korea from 2017 to 2020, was going for her first LPGA title in her 124th start. She instead took her fifth career runner-up finish.

Prior to this tournament, Choi had earned just over $7.2 million in her LPGA career, the most by a player without a victory.

At nine-under through three rounds, Choi had a one-shot lead over fellow Korean Amy Yang entering Sunday. This was Choi's fifth time with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes.

Choi birdied the fourth hole to move to 10-under and Yang's shaky start, with two bogeys and a birdie over her first four holes, gave Choi a three-shot cushion. Playing in the same group with the two Koreans, Yin was also at seven-under through five holes.

Choi then stumbled with consecutive bogeys at the par-4 seventh and par-5 eighth, allowing Yin to pull into a tie with Choi by making a birdie at the 10th.

Both players birdied the par-3 12th to get to nine-under, with both Yang and Rio Takeda of Japan lurking at seven-under.

With Yang and Takeda unable to make up more ground, Choi and Yin remained tied atop the leaderboard through 15 holes.

Yin then grabbed sole possession of the lead at 10-under with a birdie at the par-4 16th, with Choi only managing a par there.

Yin then pushed her lead to two strokes with another birdie at the par-3 17th, as Choi failed to keep pace and settled for par.

Choi's birdie at the par-5 18th was not enough, as Yin saved par to close out her one-stroke victory.

The LPGA Tour will take its annual Asian swing to Korea in the new week, as the southern town of Haenam hosts the BMW Ladies Championship beginning Thursday.

Explore More