Choi leads for three rounds, but Yin takes Shanghai with a late birdie

Hye-Jin Choi led the Buick LPGA Shanghai after 18, 36 and 54 holes. The lead that mattered Sunday belonged to Ruoning Yin, who used a late birdie to win by one stroke and extend Choi's wait for an LPGA Tour title.

Yin finished at 11-under 277 after a closing 68. Choi's 71 left her at 10 under. A tournament that began with Choi's 64 ended with Yin making a four-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to move ahead at Sheshan Golf Club.

The contenders had been tied from the 10th hole through the 15th. Yin let a birdie chance slip on 15, missing from about 10 feet, but made her next opportunity. Choi had little room left to answer.

Choi's lead had narrowed before the final round began. She was three strokes clear after Thursday, two ahead after Friday and one ahead after Saturday. Sunday's final round completed that gradual loss of ground, despite her remaining under par for the day.

Her scorecard explains how close the result was. Choi shot 64, 74, 69 and 71. Yin shot 68, 74, 67 and 68. They matched each other's difficult second rounds, then Yin gained two shots on Saturday and three more Sunday. Those five shots erased the four-stroke difference from the opening round.

The final result was a runner-up finish in Choi's search for a first LPGA victory. She joined the tour in 2022 and had made more than 100 starts, according to the Associated Press account published by the LPGA. Three days at the top gave her a strong chance to end that wait; she finished one stroke away.

Yin supplied a demanding target over the final 36 holes, playing them in nine under. Her seventh LPGA win was also her second at this event, following her 2024 victory. Jeeno Thitikul had won the intervening 2025 tournament and finished this week tied for eighth at three under.

Yin's closing 68 contained five birdies and one bogey, GOLF.com reported. She hit every fairway Sunday, part of a week in which she reached 55 of 72 greens in regulation. That accuracy kept giving her chances while the leaders were tied late in the round.

Amy Yang finished third at eight under, with Rio Takeda another stroke back and Carlota Ciganda fifth at six under. The Asian swing continues with the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea.