China's Ruixin Liu, with a 203 (70, 65, 68, -16) stroke, won her first title on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco China Championship, celebrating five days before her 27th birthday in Shenzhen, her hometown.
Let, results
At Mission Hills China (World Cup Course, par 73), in China, in the penultimate event of the season and the final of the PIF Global Series, following those in Riyadh in February, Seoul in May, London in August, and Houston in September, Alessia Nobilio, a last-minute entry due to the withdrawal of England's Cara Gainer, finished in 18th place with a 211 (70, 71, 70, -8). Virginia Elena Carta, 73rd with a 147 (73, 74, +1), and Alessandra Fanali, 98th with a 152 (77, 75, +6), failed to make the cut.
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Ruixin Liu, currently on the LPGA Tour, after playing the first part of her career on the Epson Tour with seven wins, recovered from second place with a 68 (-5, one eagle, three birdies), leaving her compatriots Liqi Zeng and Qianhui Lin, Switzerland's Chiara Tamburlini, and Thailand's Trichat Cheenglab, who were leading after two rounds, second with a 206 (-13), within three strokes of her. Completing the Chinese triumph were Ruoning Yin, world number seven, who finished sixth with a 207 (-12), tied with Sweden's Kajsa Arwefjall, and Ying Xu, who finished eighth with a 208 (-11), along with South Africa's Casandra Alexander and Sweden's Moa Folke. Ruixin Liu won 195,226 out of a prize pool of approximately 1,300,000 (officially $1,500,000).
In the team competition, played over the first 36 holes, the team led by Englishwoman Mimi Rhodes, Czech Kristyna Napoleaova, and Thai players Trichat Cheenglab and Kultida Pramphun won with a score of 253 (128 125, -39). In second place with a score of 257 (-35), was the team led by Cassandra Alexander, Englishwoman Charlotte Laffar, and Chinese players Qianhui Lin and Runzhi Pang. In third place with a score of 258 (-34), was Ruixin Liu's team, including compatriot Yu Liu, Swedish player Sofie Bringner, and Norwegian player Marianne Skarpnord. The team led by Alessandra Fanali, Slovenian Pia Babnik, and Thais Chonlada Chayanun and Aunchisa Utama, ranked 21st with a score of 269 (132 137, -23), and the team led by Alessia Nobilio, Virginia Elena Carta, Thai Nanthikarn Raksachat, and Chinese Xinyu Cao, ranked 25th with a score of 272 (135 137, -20). Each of the four winners received a check for 30,467 out of a prize pool of approximately 430,000 (officially $500,000).
