Golfjoy For Wang With Maiden Title Win
A final round birdie blitz proved the difference for Wang Zixuan on Saturday as the rookie pro out-dueled overnight leader Lin Xin’en down the stretch to win the rain-delayed Golfjoy Women’s Open by a stroke in Guangdong province.
After starting the day four shots off the lead, the 17-year-old Wang closed with a six-under 66, the best round of the tournament, for a 54-hole score of seven-under 209 to claim her maiden pro win. The victory was worth RMB75,000.
Lin, who led the CLPG Tour tournament through the first two rounds, had to wait nearly an hour to make her birdie putt on the 18th green after play was stopped for a thunderstorm at the Leadbetter Course at Mission Hills Golf Club. When play resumed, she missed the 15-footer that would have forced a playoff, carding a one-under 71 to finish runner-up.
Li Menghan closed with a two-under 70 to finish as the top amateur at four strokes back in equal third place with Cai Danlin (73). Pan Yanhong (70), Fang Shuanshuan (72) and He Jiaying (73) were equal fifth at six strokes off the pace.
Wang, who turned pro last year, stumbled out the gate with a bogey five at the first hole. At the fifth hole, she made her first birdie and then picked up further strokes at the eighth and ninth holes to make the turn at two-under. Following birdies at holes 11 and 12, the teenager drew even with Lin at the 14th when she put her approach to within a foot of the hole for a tap-in birdie. With Lin shooting nine straight pars over the back nine, Wang went ahead for good on the par-five 17th where she sank a 20-foot putt to move to the top of the leaderboard.
With the win, the Beijing native also receives a Golfjoy Spica 3 launch monitor valued at RMB37,888.
“I watched Lin Xin’en from the clubhouse trying to make her final putt and honestly, I felt nothing about it. I wasn’t that nervous. I was prepared for a playoff. When she missed the putt, I was happy to achieve my first victory on the China LPGA Tour,” said Wang, who was second in Tianjin last year and runner-up to Ye Lei at the 2023 Women’s China Open.
“Over the last two holes I told myself to be more daring and aggressive than last year. My goal for this tournament was to finish in the top 10, which would help me qualify for next week’s Mitsubishi event. I’m thrilled that I accomplished my mission.”
Lin, who led the tournament by a stroke through 36 holes, lamented a missed opportunity to capture her maiden win. Her round included two birdies and a bogey, all coming on the front nine.
“This is my first time to finish in the top 10. The road ahead is long with many more tournaments to come this year. My pro career is just beginning. Let’s wait and see,” said the Guangzhou native, a student at Shenzhen University.
“Knowing I had a 15-foot birdie putt (at the last hole) I didn’t feel it as pressure, but more so as motivation. I tried to be aggressive with that putt, but I just didn’t execute it as well as I could have.”
Li, who finished 17th at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship last week in Vietnam, rebounded from a 75 on Friday to close with two-under-par round featuring four birdies and two bogeys.
“I feel like I could have a better score because I had a lot of birdie chances on the front nine. But I didn’t due to some careless mistakes. My mindset wasn’t good, either,” lamented the Weihai teenager. “This result could definitely have been better, but my putting really wasn’t up to par. There’s still room for me to improve.”
The Leadbetter Course at Mission Hills Golf Club Dongguan is a 6,368-yard, par-72 layout.
Players are from mainland China unless indicated * denotes amateur
Golfjoy Women’s Open third round leading scores
209 – Wang Zixuan 71-72-66
210 – Lin Xin’en 67-72-71
213 – Li Menghan* 68-75-70, Cai Danlin 70-70-73
215 – Pan Yanhong 74-71-70, Fang Shuangshuang 73-70-72, He Jiaying 71-71-73
216 – Zeng Liqi 70-73-73
217 – Wang Zhixuan – 71-76-70, Punpaka Phuntumabamrung (THA) 72-73-72,
Parinda Phokan (THA) 72-72-73, Tang Rongze* 69-74-74,
Ornnicha Konsunthea (THA) 69-73-75
218 – Supamas Sangchan (THA) 74-71-73, Wannasiri Sirisampant (THA) 71-71-76
219 – Nemittra Juntanaket (THA) 74-76-69, Ng Jing Xuen (MAS) 77-71-71,
Chonlada Chayanun (THA) 74-73-72, Xue Zixuan 73-72-74,
Nanthikarn Raksachat (THA) 71-73-75
220 – Panitta Yusabai (THA) 76-73-71, Shi Yuli 76-72-72, Zhao Yihan 75-72-73,
Phisitkhwan Pooratanaopa (THA) 72-75-73, Pan Xingyi 73-73-74,
Senno Yasufuku (JPN) 72-74-74, Li Dongmei 71-73-76