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China’s Yin Ruoning becomes women’s golf world No 1, finishing third at LPGA Championship

  • Yin, who needed a top-four result to overtake Lilia Vu for the top spot, fired a final-round five-under par 67 to finish third on 14-under 274
  • Yin became only the second Chinese woman to claim the world No 1 ranking after Feng Shanshan, who reached the top from November 2017 to April 2018

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Yin Ruoning putts on the fourth green during the final round of the Kroger Queen City Championship at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sunday. Photo: Getty Images / AFP

China’s Yin Ruoning became the world number one in women’s golf on Sunday by finishing third at the LPGA Queen City Championship.

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The 20-year-old became only the second Chinese woman to claim the world number one ranking after Feng Shanshan, who reached the summit from November 2017 to April 2018.

Yin, who needed a top-four result to overtake American Lilia Vu for the top spot, missed out on a playoff for the Queen City title between Australia’s Minjee Lee and England’s Charley Hull.

But Yin fired a final-round five-under par 67 to finish third on 14-under 274 at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, and become the fifth different player atop the rankings this year.

Yin Ruoning hits from the 9th tee during the final round of the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo: AP
Yin Ruoning hits from the 9th tee during the final round of the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo: AP

“It’s just amazing,” Yin said. “My mind is blank right now.”

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Second-ranked Yin won her first major title in June at the Women’s PGA Championship, two months after collecting her first LPGA victory at the LA Open.
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