Ruoning Yin, Nasa Hataoka share lead at LPGA season finale

NAPLES, Fla. — Despite hitting poorly on the practice range, Ruoning Yin’s unexpected 9-under 63 in the CME Group Tour Championship earned her a share of the lead with Nasa Hataoka in the chase for the $2 million prize.

Yin’s surprising performance included five birdies through eight holes and a bogey-free round, ending with her fairway metal taking a fortunate hop onto the green at the par-5 17th for one last birdie.

Hataoka and Yin led by one shot over Minjee Lee, who managed a 30-foot birdie putt from off the 18th green at Tiburon Golf Club.

“I do my warmup and I don’t feel today is the day,” Yin said. “I was not in the mood for chatting. After nine holes, ‘OK, 5 under. Maybe I shouldn’t talk that much.’ I think this course really suits me. The fairway is wide open. The greens are not that hard. It’s not that long.”

“Just tried to hit every fairway, every green and make the putt.”

Low scoring at the tournament was influenced by 4 inches of rain overnight, making the fairways soft. At stake in the season finale is $2 million to the winner, regardless of where she ranks among the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe who qualified for the tournament.

The format is all-or-nothing for the big money, so the season’s work means nothing. Boutier as the No. 1 player in the Race to CME Globe has the same chance as Madelene Sagstrom, who is No. 60 and barely got into the field.

Just over half the 60-player field shot in the 60s at Tiburon. Rose Zhang and Jin Young Ko, a former world No. 1, each had to settle for 71.