From summer camp to world champion: Yin Ruoning’s road to the top in golf
The 22-year-old Chinese sensation is on form and ready to add more Majors to her trophy cabinet
YIN Ruoning was 10 years old when her mother – eager for her daughter to pick up golf – wanted to send her to a summer camp in China where she would learn the sport.
The little girl from Kunming was reluctant but she agreed after her mother promised to take her to watch two movies at the cinema after she returned from the camp.
“I didn’t want to go for the camp at all,” says Yin, now 22 and one of the most accomplished young golfers in the world.
But go she did, and the rest, as they say, is history. Just a few months after the camp, Yin took part in her first tournament – a 27-hole event – where she impressed everyone by finishing third.
As a 16-year-old amateur, she represented China’s women national team at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and won a bronze medal. Two years later, she turned professional and soon joined the China Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour where she played her first three events and was victorious in all.
It was at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June 2023 in New Jersey where, just three months before her 21st birthday, Yin catapulted herself into the game’s history books by winning the trophy. She clinched the title by one shot after making a birdie on the final hole.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
That incredible feat – she became just the second female golfer from China to win a Major after her idol Feng Shanshan – saw her rise to the top of the Women’s World Golf Rankings later that year.
Yin, who is now ranked fourth and plays on the US-based LPGA Tour, is currently in Singapore to compete at the US$2.4 million HSBC Women’s World Championship – an event that’s known as “Asia’s Major”.
The 72-hole stroke play tournament, which began on Thursday (Feb 27) and ends on Sunday, is played on the Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club.
After a practice session on Tuesday, Yin met the media at the Rolex Suite, a luxurious hospitality venue at the club with a picturesque view of the course. Last year, Yin became a brand ambassador of the Swiss watchmaker – a Testimonee, as Rolex describes these stars – in a further sign of her elevated status in the sport.
Ronni, as she likes to call herself, spent 45 minutes with the group of journalists as she talked about her competitive drive, how she deals with fame, and why sipping a cup of hot tea at home is her idea of a perfect evening. This transcript has been lightly edited for brevity.
How did you develop this passion for golf?
I was four years old when I touched a golf club for the first time. My father plays golf so I used to watch him a lot. I didn’t find it that fun at first and I ended up swinging the club and accidentally hitting him on the head.
So yeah, my dad became my coach when I started playing when I was 10. I learned a lot from him. I’m someone who really loves to compete, and I shot my first under-par when I was 11. I think I made up my mind about playing regularly when I was about 12 because I was taking part in many junior tournaments.
What advice do you have for young kids who are also 10 or 11 who are just getting started?
At the beginning, I would say don’t take things too seriously. Golf is really hard and it might upset you. Just play for fun and see if you like it. And if you do, then you’ve got to be clear if this is something you want to do in the future.
I don’t think one can be too young or too old to play. I’ve got a lot of friends who started playing when they were three or four years old. And there are people who are playing into their 80s. Age is not an issue. I think you just need to find joy in what you do.
If you could go back and speak to your younger self, what would you say?
Enjoy the process. When I was really young, I was extremely competitive. I still am, but previously when I lost, I would get very upset and be mad at myself. So yes, it’s to enjoy the process because sometimes, we can learn more from failure than success.
You’re just 22 and there’s a long way to go in your career. What goals have you set for yourself?
Becoming the world No 1 player was always a goal of mine. But at the end of the day, that’s just a title. Winning tournaments is more important to me than the world ranking. I’ve said before that I would like to win at least five Majors over the course of my career.
How has your life changed since winning that first Major in 2023? Is there more pressure on you to do well all the time?
Honestly it hasn’t changed a whole lot. That KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was just my fourth time playing in a Major, so I didn’t expect the outcome. I just tried to learn something from the tournament and along the way I thought to myself, maybe I can achieve something special here.
These days, there are more people who recognise me when I’m back home in China. I do get a lot more interview requests too. But most importantly, winning that Major has made me believe in myself as a professional golfer.
In my case, this milestone was significant because there was only one other Chinese player, Shanshan, to win a Major. So that victory gave me a lot of confidence that I’m capable of playing on the Tour and against all the other players.
What’s your typical warm-up routine like before heading out onto the course?
I try to be at the course 90 minutes before my tee-off time. I’ll spend 30 minutes on the putting green, check my strokes, do some short putts. Then I’ll go to the chipping green. I’ll be on the range about 40 minutes before I tee off, so I can do some warm-up with my physio and hit some balls.
Are you a superstitious person?
Yes, a little bit. For example, nowadays if I’m playing on a Sunday, I’ll always wear a black shirt. Tiger Woods has his “Sunday red”, and for me it’s “Sunday black”. I won my first and third tournaments in black.
Another thing I’m particular about is that the ball number I play with has to be “one”. Because I believe I am the No 1 player.
You’re one of the newest members of the Rolex family. How did this partnership come about?
When you think about Rolex, you think about the likes of Tiger (Woods) and Adam Scott and all the other big names.
For me to be able to be part of this community is really special. The qualities I associate with are excellence, precision and accuracy.
I’ve always been a watch person – I love watches and I’ve got a list of timepieces that I would like to have. In the past, I just didn’t have the resources.
The one I’m wearing right now – the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in 18-carat white gold – is something I picked out for myself.
What do you like to do on your days off?
I really enjoy most sports. I play basketball, tennis and badminton. I did a lot of different sports when I was growing up.
I try and spend time with my good friend, (Thai golfer) Jeeno (Thitikul). Finding a real friend is really hard. The two of us, we try to separate golf and life – we don’t bring anything from the golf course into our lives. We like to have dinner and have fun. Sometimes she wants Thai food and I want to have sushi.
On days when I don’t have practice, I like to stay at home and relax, have a cup of tea, and do nothing. I don’t like to go out too much. I just like to be at home with family.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
