“Seven runner-up finishes” — Unlucky, titleless Choi Hye-jin cedes No. 1 to China’s Lin Ruoning, ending her “124th attempt” in second place [LPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Choi Hye-jin (27, Lotte) narrowly missed capturing her first victory on the Ladies European Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. The expectation that this time would be different once again ended in disappointment.

On the 18th, at the final fourth round of the LPGA Tour Buick Shanghai (total prize money: $3.2 million), held at Xishan Golf Club (par 72) in Shanghai, China, Choi recorded a 1-under-par 71 with three birdies and two bogeys.

Finishing with a total of 10-under-par 278, Choi concluded the tournament in second place, one shot behind Lin Ruoning, who won with 11-under-par 277.

Choi Hye-jin debuted on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2018 and emerged as a promising rookie expected to carry Korean golf, sweeping both the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year awards in her first season. In 2019, she dominated by winning the Money List, Player of the Year, Most Wins, and Choi Jeo-ta (수상), and she also received the Player of the Year award in 2020. She had previously finished as runner-up at the 2017 LPGA Tour U.S. Women’s Open and tied for second place at the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open.

The domestic stage was too small for her. After securing 12 wins in Korea, Choi fully entered the LPGA Tour starting in 2022. In her first year, she recorded 10 top-10 finishes, including a tie for second place, and rose as high as fifth in the CME Points ranking.

However, victory remained elusive. Last year, at the LPGA Classic, she lost by one shot due to a late bogey, and at the Maybank Championship, she ceded the title to Japan’s Yamashita Miyu after a playoff.

Many predicted that this tournament would be different for Choi, who had finished as runner-up by two shots at the Maui Championship in June of this year, where she partnered with Kim Hyo-ju (Lotte).

Having failed to lift a trophy in 123 tournaments prior to this event, Choi held the lead for three consecutive days, seizing a prime opportunity to wash away the bitterness of her long title drought.

In the first round, she started in first place with an 8-birdie, no-bogey performance. In the second round, she lost two shots but maintained her position. After cutting three more strokes in the third round to start the final day in the lead, Choi faced a fierce counterattack from Lin Ruoning on this day.

Choi surged into a three-shot lead after sinking a difficult birdie putt on the fourth hole (par 3), but she wavered with consecutive bogeys on the seventh hole (par 4) and eighth hole (par 5). Her second shot on the seventh hole went off the green, and her approach also missed the hole. She lost one stroke as her par putt stopped short of the cup. On the eighth hole, her third shot failed to reach the elevated green and landed in a hazard, resulting in a penalty; she ultimately committed consecutive bogeys.

Choi, who was being closely pursued by Lin Ruoning by one shot, eventually conceded a tie for first place as she headed to the 12th hole (par 3). Although her iron tee shot was slightly long, she perfectly executed a downhill putt to regain the sole lead.

However, Lin Ruoning’s momentum was formidable. As Choi’s birdie putts gradually missed and she failed to reduce her score, Lin Ruoning captured a birdie on the 16th hole (par 4), causing Choi to drop to second place. Lin Ruoning then extended her lead by another shot on the 17th hole (par 3). On the 18th hole (par 5), Choi needed a birdie and an error from Lin Ruoning to have any hope of tying for the title.

Choi boldly attempted a two-on over a large water hazard, but the ball went off the green into the rough. She reduced her score with an approach followed by a birdie, but Lin Ruoning held her ground, forcing Choi to finish the tournament in second place.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original