Homegrown talent Yang Taoli won the inaugural China LPGA Tour when she blazed away to bag the $50,000 Beijing Orient Pearl Championship on Friday.
After leading Thailand's Porani Chutichai by one stroke ahead of the final round at the Beijing Orient Pearl Golf and Country Club, the 26-year-old Sichuan native carded three birdies in her first five holes en route to a two-under 70, five-stroke victory.
She finished with a 54-hole aggregate score of seven-under 209.
Yang, who earned $7,500 for the victory and will travel to California next week to train in an attempt to qualify for the US Women's Open, said victory was a relief after finishing runner-up or equal runner-up on six occasions in the past two years.
"After so many (runner-up) finishes I'm excited to win this historic event. This is the first event of the first season of the new China LPGA Tour. That's something I'll have forever," she said. "The key point to the victory is my mental game. I think I have grown up."
With four bogeys and two birdies on the final day, Porani never challenged Yang and struggled to a two-over 74 for second place.
Chinese veteran Yang Hongmei, the first round co-leader, rebounded from a disastrous 77 on Thursday to finish with 70 for third place. Shanghai-based Shen Yanhua was fourth following a 74.
National team player Li Chuxin (73) and Pan Yanghong (72), the winner of last Monday's qualifier, were the top amateurs, 12 shots off the pace.
(China Daily May 18, 2009)
