BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Yin Xiaowen wrote herself into the history books on Saturday when the Tianjin teenager captured the Wuhuanxing Ladies Challenge to become the first amateur to win three times on the China LPGA Tour against professional fields.
The 16-year-old closed with a two-under-par 70 at Beijing Orient Pearl Country Club to win the RMB 500,000 tournament by three strokes. Her 54-hole aggregate score was eight-under 208.
Runner-up Du Mohan (72) received the RMB 75,000 winner's purse as the top professional.
Defending champion Liu Wenbo (71) was third at four shots back, one stroke ahead of Wang Xinying (71).
Yin, who won the Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge in October to become the CLPGA Tour's youngest winner, as well as last month's 2021 season opener in Nanshan, started the day with a one-stroke lead and came out firing with four birdies over the first five holes. Following a bogey four at the 130-yard seventh hole, she finished the front nine with a birdie three at the ninth.
Sitting a 10-under after the turn, the teenager found trouble at the 361-yard 10th where she carded a double-bogey six before picking up another stroke with a birdie three at the 13th. With a comfortable four-stroke lead she closed with a bogey six at the last.
"I am happy to be the first amateur to win three times on the Tour, but I still have much work to do. Feng Shanshan is the role model for all Chinese players. Hopefully one day I can pick up the baton and win the honor for my homeland like her," said Yin, a national team player who is 16 years, five months and 15 days old.
"I made four birdies over the first five holes but my mind was affected a little by the bogey at the seventh hole where Liu made a birdie and was just three shots behind. But I forgot it when standing on the next tee which was really nice.
"At the 10th hole I made a double-bogey but I didn't think I played it so terrible. It's a little bit unlucky. After the second shot on the final hole I knew this trophy would be mine."
Du, whose round included a bogey five at the 420-yard second hole and a lone birdie at the seventh, struggled with her driver throughout the tournament and could never mount a challenge in the final round.
"I didn't think that Yin was too far away to catch up with her. She made some mistakes around the turn and had a bogey and a double bogey. Unfortunately, I didn't grasp such a good opportunity. At the end of day, she played better than us so I should say congratulations to her," said the 19-year-old Beijing native.
"The winning prize was some kind of consolation. After struggling for a while going into this week I am happy to be back into contention finally. But next time, hopefully I can directly win the winning prize and not because the winner is an amateur."
Fellow Beijinger Liu lamented a lost opportunity to capture her third career win after closing with a round that included four birdies and three bogeys
"The real problem was the second round when I felt unwell from the very beginning and missed many chances. Today my play was good. I just missed three short putts. I had two three-putts for a couple of bogeys."
The CLPGA Tour returns on June 3 with the CTBC Zhuhai Challenge, the first of four straight weeks of tournaments throughout the month. Enditem