Angel Yin Hangs On For Second LPGA Tour Title Despite Sponsor Invite's Closing 61

American, Angel Yin carded a bogey-free 65 to hold off a charging Akie Iwai and seal her second LPGA Tour title by one stroke at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Yin entered Sunday's action at Siam Country Club's Pattaya Old Course with a five-shot advantage over Iwai and played an extremely tidy final round to end the week on 28-under via seven birdies.

However, it almost wasn't enough after the 22-year-old Japanese pro - who only featured at the tournament via a sponsor's invite - bettered her opening 62 with an 11-under 61 to push Yin all the way.

Playing alongside Yin and third-place Jeeno Thitikul, the six-time LPGA of Japan Tour winner only made one mistake all day as she reeled off birdie after birdie to move within one stroke, but it came at almost the worst possible time - on 17. After Yin found the green with her approach at the short par-4, Iwai went long and failed to get up and down, effectively ending her chances of victory.

The drama continued right up until the 72nd hole, though, as Iwai responded to her lone bogey by making eagle at the par-5 18th, forcing Yin to find a birdie. The 26-year-old maintained her composure to hole out in four, and she could celebrate a first LPGA Tour title since the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai.

Addressing the external pressures of her run to the line, the Californian said: "I'll be honest, I wasn't that comfortable because Akie shot 10-under the first day and this course is very gettable.

"And I was playing with Jeeno [Thitikul]. Last time I played with Jeeno she beat me at CME. I know the competition is tight, especially the group in front with Moriya [Jutanugarn] playing well and everyone else, so I just had to keep my head down. She [Iwai] was playing lights out, 11-under with a bogey, so it's really incredible to see.

"I stuck to my strategy book and didn't really budge. I kind of knew I just had to do that, because there was nothing else. If I was beat, then I was beat. It wasn't like I needed to change my strategy up because that was the best strategy going in because it brought me where I was today."

Following Yin, Iwai and Thitkul on the leaderboard were the Thai duo of Patty Tavatanakit and Moriya Jutanugarn in a tie for fourth on 19-under. South Korea's A Lim Kim was sixth on her own at 17-under.

Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Allisen Corpuz shared seventh on 16-under while Japan's Rio Takeda and England's Georgia Hall completed the top-10 a stroke further back still.

The LPGA Tour continues with the HSBC Women's World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore next week before the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan, China rounds off the mini Asian Swing days later.