(Beijing, June 30) 17-year-old amateur Han Zilin claimed the 2024 Habour Grand China Ladies Elite with a combination of skill and luck, becoming the first Hong Kong player to win on the China LPGA Tour since its inaugural season in 2009.
Starting the final round on Sunday at Habour Grand Ecological Park’s Golden Bear Course, Han was six shots back and tied for fourth. With no expectations of winning, she just focused on her game. After completing 72 holes, she matched the week’s lowest score of 65, taking the lead. Pijsa, a Thai player of the same age, missed a birdie putt on the last hole, officially sealing Han’s victory for the “Goddess of Green” trophy.
Han finished with a four-round total of 278 (68-73-72-65), ten under par, securing a one-shot victory.
Pijsa, sponsored by Habour Grand, played on a sponsor’s invite and shot a bogey-free 69 in the final round, finishing second at 279 (70-69-71-69), nine under par.
Pang Runzhi, the 54-hole leader, had an up-and-down day but birdied the last two holes for a 73, finishing third at 280 (72-69-66-73), eight under par. As both the first and second-place finishers were amateurs, the 17-year-old Tianjin native secured the winner’s check of 150,000 yuan and maintained her position atop the China LPGA Tour money list.
Liaoning’s Zhou Jia’ai carded a 286 (74-68-72-72), two under par, to tie for seventh. The other player to make the top ten was Tang Rongze. Qualifying through a 18-hole event, amateur Tang Rongze finished alone in tenth at one under par, 287 (76-70-71-70).
The drama on Sunday began with Pang and Pijsa battling for the top spot. The Thai golfer, who will attend Arizona State University in the future, birdied the first two holes and took a three-stroke lead after her third birdie of the day at the seventh hole, while Pang bogeyed after a poor second shot.
However, the narrative took a 180-degree turn. Han gradually stepped into the spotlight. She birdied the par-5 eighth, followed by consecutive tap-in birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 and a 12-foot birdie on No. 11. A birdie on No. 13 and another pair of birdies from 12 to 15 feet on Nos. 13 and 14 gave her the outright lead.
On the crucial 17th, a par-3, Han sank a 20-footer for what she called her prettiest birdie of the day, taking a two-stroke advantage. At the par-4 18th, fortune favored her. After hitting her three-wood into a fairway bunker, her second shot ended up in a greenside trap, leaving her 50 yards out. Recalling Bryson DeChambeau’s bunker victory in the US Open this year, she used a 56-degree wedge, and her ball spun back to 10 feet, allowing her to two-putt for a bogey.
Han’s lead was down to one stroke, which ultimately proved enough for her to ascend the winner’s podium.
“I knew my score during the match, but I didn’t follow the leaderboard. I knew I played well today, but I thought the players behind me would catch up,” Han said. “So I wasn’t worried at all. I didn’t think about what might happen later; I only concentrated on how many strokes I had now.”
Han credited her victory to 30% luck, 40% mental strength, and 30% technique. “I didn’t change anything throughout the tournament – no adjustments to my swing or putting,” she explained. “I just practiced repeatedly. My performance on the final day came down to my mental game because I was very determined and executed each shot well. I didn’t connect with anything else but my ball. I was just competing against the ball and the environment around me.”
Despite her triumph on the China LPGA Tour, Han said it wouldn’t alter her life path. She plans to attend the University of Oregon next year before considering turning professional.
Pang, the Singapore Women’s Masters champion, finished third despite rebounding with a birdie on the par-5 16th and a chip-in birdie on the 18th. It was her second consecutive event with a winner’s check.
“Finishing in third place is still pleasing. When I knew I needed a birdie on the last hole to secure the winner’s prize, I told myself I had to make it,” Pang said about her quest for the China LPGA Tour money title. “Now that I’m in this position, the money list is definitely a goal, and I’ll continue striving for it in the second half of the season.”
The Habour Grand China Ladies Elite was the last event of the China LPGA Tour’s first half of the 2024 season. With a total of 938 birdies and 24 eagles, Habour Grand fulfilled its commitment to donate 986,000 yuan to the “Habour Grand Road” Future Stars Junior Series Development Fund.
Photographers: Liu Zhuo, Wang Liming