Golf sensation becomes new women’s world number one

After a remarkable season, 21-year-old Ruoning Yin has reached the peak of women’s professional golf.

The Chinese prodigy finished third at the Kroger Queen City Championship last weekend to claim the No. 1 spot on the Rolex World Rankings.

Yin has been in scintillating form all season, highlighted by her maiden major success at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

She said: “I’ve got goosebumps. I mean, world No. 1 is the big step on the way to chasing Shanshan (Feng). Yeah, I’m just – I’ve got brain blank right now. I don’t know what to say.

“I always knew if I finish top three, I maybe can become world No. 1.

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“Today on the course I (was) just thinking about like bogey-free… and make as many birdies as I can and just keep patient.

“It means a lot. For me, it’s like a dream come true.”

Yin has become only the second Chinese woman to reach the world high rank after Feng Shanshan achieved the feat in November 2017.

Yin needed a top-four finish at Kenwood Country Club to mark her name in history and knock American Lilia Vu off the top spot.

Despite missing out on the title by two strokes, Yin did enough to achieve her goal by finishing in solo third place.

A five-under-par final round moved Yin up the leaderboard as she became the fifth different player to top the rankings this year.

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More incredibly, though, it comes after a torrid season last year, when the major champion missed six cuts in 13 starts.

Her fortunes have turned massively since then, recording two wins on the LPGA Tour, including that famous triumph at Baltusrol Golf Club in June.

The Kunmig-born golfer is only the second from her country to win a women’s major championship.

Former world number one Vu also lifted her first major this season before following up at the Women’s Open.

The 25-year-old won for the second time in five starts at the Chevron Championship in April but was replaced by Yin after a T14 finish last week.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.