Vietnamese -American player Lilia Vu led for most of the final round at the Buick LPGA Shanghai but was later caught up by Angel Yin and lost to her Chinese compatriot in a playoff on October 15th.
At the start of the decisive race, there were 16 title contenders ranging from the top of the standings (-12) to T17 (-7), with Vu in T4 (-10) and the lead held by Yin and Maja Stark, both from Sweden. Given this situation, Vu started second to last, just ahead of the T1 group.
At the start of the match, Vu took the lead at hole 5, with a score of -14. Yin had finished hole 4 at -13, while Stark was at -12. From there to hole 16, Stark was constantly chasing and couldn't break the -10 mark. Vu twice tied with Yin. The first time was when she held par on hole 10, and her opponent birdied on hole 9. The second time, Vu bogeyed hole 12, while Yin held par on hole 11.
Lilia Vu was unable to claim her fourth LPGA Tour title this season, after finishing second at the Buick LPGA Shanghai on October 15th. Photo: LPGA
On hole 17, Vu birdied to reach -14, and Yin, who came in later, achieved a similar hole score and prize score. This result was repeated on hole 18, this time at par. Meanwhile, Stark only reached -12 thanks to birdies on both of the final holes, ultimately finishing T8.
Tied at -14 after four rounds of regulation, Vu and Yin competed in a playoff to determine the overall winner. The duel ended on the first hole, at the 18th. There, both had opportunities to birdie after landing on the green. However, Vu's putt from six meters missed the hole, while his opponent, closer, finished accurately.
As a result, Yin, born in 1998, won the championship, taking home $315,000 in her first title after 159 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. Vu, however, missed the opportunity to win her fourth title of the season on the same tour. Her three previous titles included the Honda LPGA Thailand in February, and two majors – the Chevron Championship in April and the Women's Open in August.
Angel Yin celebrates winning the Buick LPGA Shanghai championship on October 15th. Photo: LPGA
Vu topped the world professional women's golf rankings (Rolex Rankings) on August 13th, shortly after winning her second prestigious title. By September 11th, she had dropped to second place, ceding the top spot to Ruoning Yin for two weeks before reclaiming it from September 25th until now.
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