Angel Yin beats No. 1 Lilia Vu in Shanghai playoff to win first LPGA title

SHANGHAI — Angel Yin defeated top-ranked Lilia Vu on the first playoff hole to win the Buick LPGA Shanghai tournament on Sunday for her first tour win.

Both Yin and Vu finished at 14-under 274 on the Qizhong Garden Golf Club course forcing a playoff, where Yin made a birdie at the par-4 18th after Vu had narrowly missed her 20-foot birdie putt.

It was 25-year-old Yin’s first victory in her 159th start and she shared a warm embrace with compatriot Vu on her breakthrough win. It was also a measure of revenge as Vu beat Yin in a playoff earlier this year to win the Chevron Championship, an LPGA major.

“It’s not easy to win. (I’m) just very grateful,” Yin said. “Honestly, 18 that bunker where I was in, anything could have happened, but I was very fortunate to have a very good lie and was able to hit a good shot and everything played out the way it played out.

“It’s been a special week.”

Yin was tied with Maja Stark for the overnight lead at 12 under and on Sunday shot a 70, with three birdies and a lone bogey on the 6th.

Vu shot a 4-under 68, with six birdies and two bogeys, and was the clubhouse leader at 14-under, until Yin birdied the par-5 17th and then made par on the final hole to force a playoff.

“I made a lot of mistakes today, to be honest, and I felt like this was definitely not my A-game, but I knew that the more I play the golf course the better I get at it, and I knew I had a good chance today,” Vu said. “Today was just Angel’s day. I’m happy for her.”

Five players finished in a tie for third at 13 under: South Korea’s Hye-jin Choi, who shot a 64; Thai pair Pavarisa Yoktuan (70) and Ariya Jutanugarn (69); Yu Liu (68) and Esther Henseleit (68).

Stark had a frustrating day as she made an even par round to finish in a tie for eighth with a 12-under 276.

Two-time defending champion Danielle Kang of the United States shot 71 to finish five strokes back in a tie for 17th at 9 under.

The event, the LPGA’s first return to China since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the start of a four-tournament Asia swing, with later stops in South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.