KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: Yining Yin Leads the Defense of Her Title

From June 20 to 23, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a major on the LPGA Tour in the United States, will tee off. This year, the total purse has increased by $400,000 to reach a record-breaking $10.4 million, contributing to the LPGA Tour’s 2024 season’s total purse of $125 million. The winner will receive $1.56 million, the third-highest first-place prize on the LPGA Tour this season.

The tournament features 156 spots, and China’s top-ranked golfer, Yining Yin, enters as the defending champion, undoubtedly one of the main attractions this week. In 2023, Yin secured victory at the 69th KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green at Baltusrol Golf Club, defeating Japan’s Yuka Saso. This was Yin’s second LPGA Tour title and her first major championship.

“You definitely need patience in a major because it’s going to be tough. But if you stay patient and make fewer mistakes than others, you’ll have a good result,” Yin reflected, thrilled to hold the prestigious major trophy. So far this season, she has recorded two top-10 finishes, with season earnings exceeding $540,000, ranking 29th on the LPGA’s CME points list. After a break, Yin returns to the course this week, hoping for an outstanding performance.

In addition to Yin, eight more Chinese players have qualified for the event: Xiyu Lin, Yan Liu, Xiaowen Yin, Ruixin Liu, Weiwei Zhang, Yu Liu, Yue Ren, and Yi Yi Liu.

The competition will commence early Thursday morning local time in the United States. Here are the tee times for the Chinese mainland players:

Yi Yi Liu, 7:11 AM, Hole 1
Yining Yin, 8:11 AM, Hole 10
Xiaowen Yin, 8:17 AM, Hole 1
Weiwei Zhang, 12:17 PM, Hole 10
Xiyu Lin, 1:01 PM, Hole 10
Yan Liu, 1:23 PM, Hole 10
Ruixin Liu, 2:07 PM, Hole 10
Yue Ren, 2:29 PM, Hole 10
Yu Liu, 2:34 PM, Hole 1

(Picture courtesy of the LPGA official website)