BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Lin Qianhui captured her maiden pro win in windy conditions on Saturday with a two-stroke victory at the Beijing Women's Challenge.
As conditions cleared up in the morning light after heavy rain and thunder hit the Chinese capital overnight, Lin, a 21-year-old Beijing native, held steady to close with an even-par 72 at Beijing Orient Pearl Golf Club to claim the 75,000 yuan winner's purse.
The fifth-year pro finished with a 54-hole score of eight-under 208.
"Having this hometown win with so many fans and friends cheering ... the excitement is indescribable. This is pure joy," said an emotional Lin. "I felt a great sense of release. It's been a hard-fought battle. Finally, I made it."
Chinese veteran Shi Yuli (69) finished equal runner-up for her best result at a CLPG Tour event, tied with Wang Zixuan, the first-round leader who closed with a two-over 74. Wang Xinyu was the top amateur as the teenager shot a one-under 71 to finish equal fourth with veteran Pan Yanhong (74) at three strokes back.
Amateur Cui Jinghan, the overnight leader, struggled to a 77 to finish sixth.
Lin, who started the day a stroke off the lead, reeled off nine straight pars to make the turn at eight-under. As playing partners Cui and Wang Zixuan fell out of contention, Lin picked up her first stroke of the day at the 328-meter 10th hole when she put her approach from 103m in tight for a tap-in birdie. She carded another birdie at the 13th hole to get to 10-under before closing with a double-bogey seven at the par-five last where she found a greenside bunker and then three-putted.
"I maintained strong focus through the first 17 holes. With a four-shot cushion on the 18th I could finally breathe easy. That's why I made a mess," said Lin who now plans to attend the US LPGA Tour qualifying school.
"I attempted it last year too. I vowed I would only return after winning on the China (LPG) Tour and now I've earned that right."
Shi, who turned pro as a teenager in 2018 and had never finished higher than third in a tournament, was delighted with her equal runner-up finish after starting the day six shots off the lead. Her round included four birdies, with three of them coming on the back nine, and a lone bogey.
"After checking my score post-round, I'm quite pleased. Considering how far back I was going into the final round, this finish exceeds expectations," said the 23-year-old Beijinger. "The highlight came at the 11th hole, draining a 25-footer from off the green for birdie. Those are the moments we play for."
Wang Xinyu was another to post her best result as the Guangdong-based amateur achieved her first top-10 finish at a CLPG Tour event. The 17-year-old started with consecutive birdies to get to six-under before struggling through three consecutive bogeys starting from the fifth hole. After rebounding for birdie at the 347.5m eighth hole, she picked up another stroke at the par-five 14th.
"Making top-10 this week is genuinely satisfying, though I can't ignore some lingering disappointment. My iron accuracy was way off. I kept missing greens and had to rely on my short game all week. Those approach shots were just not finding their targets," said the Hunan native,
"The wind today was brutal. Whether hitting into headwinds or downwinds, every iron and wood required precise yardage adjustments. You had to calculate everything perfectly. Considering everything, my performance across these three days was acceptable."
Defending champion Ren Yijia, 94th in the World Golf Amateur Ranking, closed with a two-under 70 to finish equal ninth. ■
