dubai: Californian teenager Angel Yin produced a birdie-birdie finish in a two-hole play-off to claim her first professional title at the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic yesterday.
The 19-year-old from Los Angeles added the striking Dallah trophy to her Solheim Cup win earlier this summer and gained a two-year exemption on the Ladies European Tour, where she started her career as a rookie this year.
"I'm absolutely thrilled," said Yin, officially the second longest hitter on the LET, with an average driving distance of 276.75 yards. "This is the perfect way to finish off 2017."
Yin posted a bogey-free final round of 67 to join Celine Herbin and Kim In-Kyung Kim in the clubhouse on 15-under 273, but she almost gave it away by driving her ball right and it trickled into the lake on the par-five 18th in regulation play.
She found the light rough to the left of the fairway from the 18th tee on the first play-off hole, but almost holed her third shot. After driving the green on the par-4 17th, the second play-off hole, she won with a tap-in birdie.
"It's been a long week and I'm happy to be here in Dubai for the second time. I had a great time last year and I'm happy to have won the title," said Yin.
Herbin, who shot a final round of 64, wasn't too disappointed at being eliminated with a double-bogey on the 18th hole after finding the water with her third shot.
She said: "It was really a bonus for me to be in the play-off today. It was an awesome round for me, my personal best, minus eight and I had nine birdies. I enjoyed it a lot today."
Kim, the 2009 champion, admitted that she was disappointed to have missed her birdie putt from six feet on the 17th hole in the play-off, but felt that she had given her best. "Just getting myself in contention on the back nine was my goal. I was able to get into the play-off. I think that was the best scenario that I could ever have asked for before teeing off."
Overnight leader Anne Van Dam fired a final round of 71 and ended two strokes back in fourth place, with Aditi Ashok, Charley Hull and Pernilla Lindberg tied for fifth.
Thidapa Suwannapura was eighth, while Olivia Cowan and Michele Thomson completed the top 10 spots.