CINCINNATI, Ohio — China’s Yin Ruoning became the World No. 1 in women’s golf on Sunday by finishing third at the LPGA Queen City Championship.
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.
“It means a lot. For me, it’s like dream come true,” Yin said.
“I’ve got goosebumps. World number one is the big step on the way to chasing Shanshan.”
Yin will play on a Chinese team coached by Feng in the Asian Games, which open on 23 September on home soil at Hangzhou.
“I didn’t get a lot of chance to chat with Shanshan,” Yin said. “But I’m looking forward to going back to China and play the Asian Games and spend more time with her, considering she’s the head coach on our national team.”
Yin, who needed a top-four result to overtake American Lilia Vu for the top spot, missed out by two strokes on a playoff for the Queen City title between Australia’s Minjee Lee, who won the title with a birdie on the second extra hole, 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.
“It’s just amazing,” Yin said.
“My mind is blank right now.”
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.
