By: Max Bechtoldt
Young superstar Ruoning Yin became the fourth player in 2024 to win at least three LPGA Tour events, joining Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and Hannah Green in Malaysia.
Yin got off to a quick start in the final round of The Maybank Championship, with birdies on holes one and three, and she needed them. The other two co-leaders, Jeeno Thitikul and Haeran Ryu were in lock step also -2 through the first five holes. In total the final group only made two bogeys and were a combined -18 for the round.
Yin added a couple more birdies before the turn, then on 10 and 12 as well. After five straight pars, Yin entered 18 with a one-stroke lead over Thitikul. All three members of the final group went on to birdie, a fitting finish for the three players who were so dominant all week.
The 22-year-old from China had the opportunity to show off her incredible ball-striking in the final round, arguably the best on the tour. She hit 17 greens in regulation, and was leaving herself fairly short, makable birdie putts to convert. While her overall putting wasn’t the strongest its been this week, with 29, it didn’t necessarily matter when she was hitting the ball at an elite level.
This is now the fifth-career victory for Yin, each in the last two seasons. She joins Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu as the only players to win five or more LPGA Tour events in 2023-2024. That stretch includes a major championship and four wins by one stroke, which shows her incredible finishing ability. This season, she previously won the Dow Championship alongside Jeeno Thitikul and the Buick LPGA Shanghai in her home country.
