Ruoning Yin wins her first LPGA tournament since 2024.
Alex Slitz, Getty Images
The FM Championship at TPC Boston came down to a battle between three major champions: Sei Young Kim, Hyo Joo Kim and Ruoning Yin. All three were part of the final group on Sunday, and, for a brief moment on the 10th hole, all three held a share of the lead.
In the end, with rounds of 71-65-68-70 (14-under 274), Yin won her sixth LPGA title and first since the 2024 Maybank Championship, finishing two strokes ahead of Hyo Joo Kim. It’s the second year in a row that a player from China won the FM Championship after Miranda Wang won in 2025. Yin, 23, has the second-most LPGA victories among players from China, now only four behind Shanshan Feng.
“It has just been so long since my last win,” Yin said. “I know I work hard and also my team. My mom is here, everything just comes together.”
But perhaps the biggest storyline of the week was the retirement of Anna Nordqvist after a distinguished, 18-year career. The nine-time LPGA winner, three-time major champion, nine-time Solheim Cup player and 2026 European Solheim Cup captain announced on Wednesday that the FM Championship would be her final start on the LPGA Tour.
After a first-round 74, Nordqvist fought back with a 68 on Friday to make the cut at even par. A 73-72 weekend left her T38 at 1-under.
“I’m not really sure how to feel,” Nordqvist said. “Nothing ever prepares you for this moment. I’m definitely going to miss it. Part of me feels like I still have so much more left in me. But, yeah, just forever grateful for everything this game and, you know, the LPGA family has done for me.”
Each player in Sunday’s final group held a lead or share of the lead at the end of a round during the tournament. Sei Young Kim was the 18-hole leader after a 64, the lowest opening round in FM Championship history. She shot 74 on Friday, allowing Hyo Joo Kim (68-67) to grab a share of the lead with Allisen Corpuz and Miyu Yamashita at 9-under through 36 holes.
And on Saturday, despite two bogeys in her first four holes, Yin shot 68 to take the 54-hole lead at 12-under. Yin was one stroke clear of both Kims going into the final round, and the next-closest players were at 8-under.
On Sunday, no player had more than a one-stroke lead until play concluded. Sei Young Kim played a 2-under, bogey-free front nine to share the lead at 13-under with Yin. After a birdie on the second hole, Yin made back-to-back bogeys on the third and fourth holes. Then on the sixth, she holed out from the greenside bunker for birdie and made another birdie on the seventh.
Hyo Joo Kim was 1-over through four holes, but made birdies on the seventh and ninth holes to make the turn one back of her playing partners. She made another birdie on the 10th and, for a brief moment, there was a three-way tie at the top at 13-under. However, Yin missed a short par putt and dropped a shot back.
Sei Young Kim took the lead after chipping in for birdie on the 11th hole, but she fell out of contention by going double bogey, bogey, bogey on the next three holes. It became a two-woman battle between Hyo Joo Kim and Yin, who took a share of the lead once again with a long birdie putt on 12.
On the 101-yard, par-3 16th hole, both leaders hit the green but left themselves with long, sliding birdie putts. Kim three-putted for the first time all week and Yin made par, giving Yin a one-shot lead with two to play.
On the 17th hole, both made pars after Yin narrowly missed a birdie chip and Kim lipped out a birdie putt. Yin secured victory on the par-5 18th, hitting a gorgeous 5-iron to the green and a two-putting for birdie.
“They told me to aim a little left but I was just like let’s just go for the green,” Yin said. “Let’s just go for the pin. And I hit a good shot.”
Everett Munez
