Choi Hye-jin runner-up again as China's Yin Ruoning claims comeback win

Choi Hye-jin was denied victory at the Buick LPGA Shanghai — the first event of the LPGA Tour's Asian swing, with a purse of $3.2 million — as China's Yin Ruoning rallied on her home course to claim the title.

In the final round Sunday at Seosan Golf Club (par 72, 6,735 yards) in Shanghai, Choi managed only three birdies against two bogeys for a 1-under 71, finishing at 10-under 278 and settling for runner-up. The result gave Choi her seventh runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour without a win since her 2022 debut.

Choi had entered the final round one stroke ahead and extended her lead to two with a birdie on the par-3 4th hole, but back-to-back bogeys on holes 7 and 8 allowed Yin to draw level. Choi responded with a downhill 6-meter birdie on the par-3 12th, only for Yin to match her with a 2-meter birdie on the same hole, keeping the contest deadlocked.

The decisive swing came on holes 16 and 17. Yin stuck her second shot to within a meter of the pin on the par-4 16th for a birdie that put her one ahead, then drained a 3-meter birdie on the par-3 17th to stretch her lead to two.

Choi needed an eagle on the par-5 18th to force a playoff but could manage only a birdie. Her third chip from 30 yards behind the green — aimed at a chip-in eagle — stopped a meter left of the hole.

Yin two-putted for par on the 18th, letting a downhill 3-meter birdie chance slip to seal a one-stroke victory. With four birdies on the back nine alone, Yin reclaimed the title she won in 2024, two years after her previous victory.

Yang Hee-young, who played in the final group alongside Choi and Yin, had dropped two strokes through 17 holes with two birdies and four bogeys, but holed a chip-in eagle from 20 yards on the 18th to finish at 8-under 280 and take sole third place.

Kim A-lim carded a 5-under 67 to finish at 5-under 283, tying Allison Lee of the United States for sixth place.

Defending champion Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand shot a 3-under 69 on the final day to finish at 3-under 285, sharing eighth place with Joo Su-bin.

Hwang Yu-min fired the day's best round, a 6-under 66 that included four consecutive birdies on holes 2 through 5, to finish at even par 288 and tie for 16th. Hwang's rookie-of-the-year rival Hara Erika of Japan finished at 1-under 287, tying for 10th.