Tag: Ruixin Liu

Ruixin Liu battled more than the field to take early LPGA lead at Kroger Queen City Championship

“I don’t know how I did this good, but it happen and I’m very happy to take it.”

Managing allergies on the golf course can be a tough task, especially at the professional level.

Ruixin Liu made it look easy on Thursday at the Kroger Queen City Championship. The 24-year-old from China rode a hot putter all the way to the top of the leaderboard at 7 under despite admittedly feeling awful during the first round at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“I pretty much made everything except for hole No. 12,” said Liu, who was still dealing with allergies that hit so hard last week she was forced to withdraw from the Portland Classic. “That’s the only bad hole I played today, because my second shot was only like 18 feet to the hole for eagle and I three-putt that one.”

The China native who now lives in Orlando went bogey-free with seven birdies, including five on the front nine, and leads the tournament by one shot over Linnea Strom and Dottie Ardina, who each shot rounds of 6-under 66. European Ryder Cuppers Charley Hull and Emily Kristine Pedersen are another shot back after a pair of 5-under 67s.

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“I’m still a little not clear today,” Liu said of her health. “I don’t know how I did this good, but it happen and I’m very happy to take it.”

Photos: Kroger Queen City Championship

Liu, the Epson Tour Player of the Year in 2019, is staying humble and in the moment as she looks for her first win on the LPGA. Across 14 starts this season Liu has missed five cuts, withdrawn twice and has a best finish of T-9 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational back in July.

“Well, I don’t want to give myself too much expectation because physically I don’t feel great, so I’m just going to take a good break, try to sleep good, and try to do the same thing tomorrow,” she added.

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Ruixin Liu holds off No. 1 amateur Rose Zhang to win Symetra Tour title in Arizona

Ruixin Liu claimed another Symetra Tour title when she closed out amateur Rose Zhang in a playoff at the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Classic.

An amateur nearly won on the Symetra Tour on Sunday. Ruixin Liu, however, wasn’t going to let that happen.

It took two extra holes at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, for the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic to reach a conclusion, but when Liu made a birdie on her third trip down No. 18 for the day, she effectively wrapped up her fifth career Symetra Tour title and forced Zhang to wait a little longer for her first win on the pro circuit.

Zhang, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world and the reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, finished 11th at the ANA Inspiration last fall, an LPGA major. She has also won three American Junior Golf Association invitationals in the past six months.

Zhang, a 17-year-old who will start her college golf career at Stanford next fall, played in the next-to-last group on Sunday alongside another amateur, Arizona State super senior Olivia Mehaffey. Zhang trailed 54-hole leader Liu by three shots while Mehaffey was two shots back.

Mehaffey started her day with a birdie, but immediately gave it back with a bogey on No. 2. It was a rollercoaster from there, and a 1-over 73 left her at 11 under, six shots out of the playoff.

Zhang meanwhile, bogeyed her first hole, but then made seven birdies on the day for a 6-under 66. That was three shots better than Liu’s 69, which allowed Zhang to catch Liu at 17 under.

The two headed back to the par-5 18th, where both parred. Zhang’s tournament was derailed when she took an unplayable on the left side of the fairway as Liu made birdie.

Liu was the 2018 Symetra Tour Player of the Year, and last won on the developmental tour at the 2020 Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship.

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