16-Year Old Yin Yuanru Wins Annika Invitational at Mission Hills in China

Teenager Yin Yuanru became a hometown champion when she won the Annika Invitational at Mission Hills in China on Friday.

The 16-year-old, who lives in Shenzhen and regularly plays at Mission Hills, overcame some of the best female junior golfers from across Asia to win the prestigious tournament.

A delighted Yin received the winner’s trophy from guest of honour Annika Sörenstam, the Swedish golfing great who hosts the event each year.

“I’m very happy with my performance these past three days,” said Yin, who began playing golf when she was ten years old. “The rain made conditions quite difficult, so I’m delighted I could still play to a good standard.”

Yin finished the three-round event – staged on the Sörenstam-designed Annika Course at Mission Hills Dongguan – on four-under-par 212, one shot clear of Chinese-Taipei’s Chen Ching Tzu. Inez Beatrice Wanamarta of Indonesia was a further shot back in third.

All three will be invited to take part in the 2015 Annika International Invitational in the United States.

Yin will also receive an invitation to play against the game’s top professionals in the World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Haikou next March, where the defending champion will be Korean superstar Inbee Park.

“The fourth Annika Invitational at Mission Hills has been an outstanding success and we have seen some wonderful golf these past three days,” said Mission Hills Group Vice Chairman Mr. Tenniel Chu.  “While congratulating our deserving winners, my sincere thanks go to all the players who have represented their countries and the game of golf with such distinction this week. And of course, on behalf of Mission Hills, I would like to express my gratitude to Annika herself for her wonderful commitment to girls’ golf in general and this tournament in particular. The Annika Invitational at Mission Hills continues to go from strength to strength and we will carry on working closely with the Annika Foundation to make it even bigger and better in years to come.”

Sörenstam, widely regarded as the greatest female golfer of her generation and one of the best of all time, was a constant presence at this week’s tournament, giving a skills clinic, encouraging the young participants and sharing her experiences of playing golf at the highest level.

During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, the Swede rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered.

She amassed 89 worldwide victories, including 72 on the LPGA Tour, 10 of which were Majors. She captured a record eight Player of the Year awards and still holds the record for the lowest scoring average in a season (68.6969 in 2004). She remains the only female to break 60 in an official event.

In 2007, a year before her retirement from competitive golf, Sörenstam created the Annika Foundation to encourage children to enjoy golf and lead a healthy, active life.

Among many charitable and community initiatives, the foundation launched the first Annika Invitational in the US in 2009. Two years later, Mission Hills was chosen to host the first Annika Invitational event outside the US – making it the first junior girls-only tournament in Asia – and a third tournament, the Annika Invitational Europe, was launched in Sweden two years ago.

This year, for the first time, scores in the Annika Invitational contribute to the China Golf Association’s Junior Rankings. Results from the event are already factored in to the World Amateur Golf Rankings.