Ye Lei captured her first title as a professional in impressive fashion on Thursday when she outdueled Chinese amateur Wang Zixuan down the stretch to
With the 22-year-old rookie pro holding a one-stroke lead over the Beijing teenager going into the final round at Orient (Xiamen) Golf and Country Club, Ye closed with a five-under 67 to Wang's 68 to put her name on the trophy at the 13th national championship.
The win was worth 75,000 yuan (about 1,0560 US dollars) to Ye who finished with a 54-hole score of 14-under 202. She also earned six world ranking points for her victory at the China LPGA Tour's flagship event.
"The most difficult putt was the last putt from three feet. I knew that I had a two-shot lead, but I really wanted to end the event without any bogey. To my great relief, I made it perfect and earned my maiden victory," said Shanghai native Ye who became the first player in CLPGA Tour history to win a tournament without dropping a shot.
"I have been a pro for five months. I just played six or seven events as a pro. I must say that this win is quick. But my CLPGA debut was 10 years ago when I was 12 years old. In that case, it's also a long time."
China's Zhang Yunxuan closed with a 69 to finish third three shots back, one shot ahead of fellow rookie pro Fiona Xu (67) of New Zealand. Thai veteran Onkanok Soisuwan (66) was fifth, five strokes off the pace.
