Choi Hye-jin falls one shot short at Buick LPGA Shanghai

Yin Ruoning overtakes overnight leader in final round; Yang Hee-young finishes third among Koreans

Choi Hye-jin tees off on the fourth hole during the final round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Seosan Golf Club in Shanghai, China, on Sunday. [Getty Images]

Choi Hye-jin, chasing her first LPGA Tour victory, surrendered the lead in the final round and settled for runner-up at the Buick LPGA Shanghai on Sunday.

Choi carded three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under-par 71 in the final round at Seosan Golf Club (par 72) in Shanghai, China. Her 72-hole total of 10-under-par 278 left her one stroke behind China's Yin Ruoning, who fired a 4-under 68 to finish at 11-under 277 and claim the title outright.

Choi, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2022, was attempting to win for the first time in her 124th start. She had held the outright lead through all three opening rounds and was on course for a wire-to-wire victory, but could not hold on when it mattered most. The runner-up finish is her fifth on the LPGA Tour.

Choi made her first birdie of the day at the par-3 fourth hole but wobbled with back-to-back bogeys at the seventh and eighth. At the par-4 eighth, her second shot found the penalty zone short of the green, costing her a stroke and cutting her lead over Yin to one.

After turning 1-over for the front nine, Choi was forced to share the lead when Yin birdied the par-4 10th. The two players remained locked together after both birdied the par-3 12th.

The tournament was decided late. While Choi could only make par at the par-4 16th, Yin birdied the hole to move into sole possession of the lead. Yin then added another birdie at the par-3 17th to stretch her advantage to two strokes.

Yin Ruoning of China poses with the trophy after winning the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Seosan Golf Club in Shanghai on Sunday, claiming her second victory of the season and seventh on the LPGA Tour. [Getty Images]

Choi birdied the par-5 18th to close within one, but Yin made par to seal the victory.

Yin, who won this event in 2024, claimed her second title of the season following her FM Championship victory in August, lifting her career LPGA Tour win total to seven.

Among the Korean players, Yang Hee-young finished in sole third place at 8-under 280. Kim A-rim tied for sixth at 5-under 283, and Joo Su-bin tied for eighth at 3-under 285.

The LPGA Tour's Asian swing continues with the BMW Ladies Championship, a four-day event beginning Thursday at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Jeolla Province.

yjc@heraldcorp.com