Angel Yin sets 72-hole LPGA scoring record in winning second tour event in Thailand
The world No. 17 delivered a flawless final-round 65 to finish at 28 under par, edging Japanese rookie Akie Iwai by a single stroke.
Her winning total bettered the previous LPGA record of 261 set by Annika Sorenstam in Arizona in 2001. Yin also rewrote the tournament's 72-hole record of 262, surpassing the previous mark held by Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Xiyu Lin from 2022.
'I wasn't that comfortable because Akie shot 10 under the first day and this course is very gettable. So I just had to keep my head down,' said Yin.
Despite starting the final round with a five-stroke advantage, Yin faced relentless pressure from sponsor invite Iwai, who charged up the leaderboard and momentarily shared the lead at 24-under after a birdie on the 12th hole. However, Yin, who last triumphed at the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai, responded with three consecutive birdies to regain control and never looked back.
The 26-year-old is the fourth American to capture the LPGA Thailand title, joining Lilia Vu (2023), Jessica Korda (2018), and Lexi Thompson (2016). She is also a two-time major runner-up — at the 2023 Chevron Championship and the 2019 U.S. Women's Open.
Despite finishing second, Iwai made history of her own, firing a tournament-low round of 61. She carded 10 birdies and a closing eagle against a lone bogey to settle at 261.
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand was in third place with a final-round 66, finishing at 267. Defending champion Patty Tavatanakit and fellow Thai Moriya Jutanugarn shared fourth place at 269.
The event is the first stop of the LPGA's so-called Asian swing before the tour moves to Singapore and China over the next two weeks.
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