Ruoning Yin, a 21-year-old Chinese golfer, made a remarkable start at the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, positioning herself as a strong contender for the title. Yin’s opening round of four-under-par 68 was particularly impressive, given her limited experience with links golf. She highlighted her round with a birdie on the notoriously difficult Road Hole, which she later described as her favorite birdie of the year. Yin, who is ranked No. 6 in the world, credited her success to smart play, particularly a well-executed 7-iron shot that left her just five feet from the hole.
Yin, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last year, also birdied the 18th hole. Starting her round at the tenth, she managed to reach six-under at one point before dropping shots at the sixth and eighth holes. Despite these setbacks, her performance was still remarkable, especially considering the challenging conditions and her inexperience with links courses. Yin humorously noted that while she had played the Old Course many times in a Tiger Woods video game, playing it in real life was a different experience altogether. She emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, recognizing that a bad mindset would lead to poor results.
The afternoon rounds saw a highly competitive group, including Charley Hull, who finished as the runner-up last year. Hull managed to edge ahead of Yin with a score of 67, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda and defending champion Lilia Vu shot 68 and 69, respectively. Hull, who nearly holed out for an eagle on the 18th, expressed her satisfaction with her performance, noting that she had expected the conditions to be more challenging. However, she found the last three holes to be somewhat easier, though the round took longer to complete than anticipated. Hull emphasized the importance of patience in such a situation.
Korda, another standout in the afternoon, made a strong finish by picking up three birdies in her last five holes, including one on the 17th. She faced a tough decision between clubs but ultimately chose correctly, hitting a controlled 5-iron to within seven feet of the hole.
Among the day’s standout performances was that of English amateur Lottie Woad, who shot a level-par 72. Woad, who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April, delivered an impressive round that included three birdies and three bogeys. Her strong performance at St Andrews adds to what has already been a memorable year, having recently been awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading woman in this year’s World Amateur Golf Ranking. Woad, who is also set to compete in the Curtis Cup under the captaincy of Catriona Matthew next week, expressed her gratitude for the opportunities she has had and her focus on enjoying the experience.
