Xiyu “Janet” Lin and Ruoning Yin, both from China, met in 2019 and became friends. Yin had questions for Lin, was 23 at the time, had lived in the U.S. since 2011, and already had made her way to the LPGA.
“She (Yin) wasn't even 18 years old, and she came up and asked me what would be the proper way to get on the LPGA,” Lin said. “At that time I was like, ‘Wow, like this kid, she really wants something. There's not many like 16-, 17-year-olds that are planning that far ahead.’ That's actually how we started talking.
My favorite exchange of the day from Baltusrol. Janet Lin briefly held the lead today with her friend Ruoning "Ronnie" Yin.
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) June 23, 2023
Turns out Yin rents from Lin and what followed was an instant classic. pic.twitter.com/DoKmUqna33
“Then the more I talked to her, the more I feel like she's definitely way more mature than her age, and she has very clear goals, and she's very aggressive. She's not scared of anything.”
The two friends shared the top of the leaderboard Thursday afternoon, right up until the day’s second-to-last group, as South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace made a closing birdie for the solo lead at 5-under 66. Shanshan Feng of China won 10 times on the LPGA, including a major (2015 Wegmans LPGA), but it was different to see two players from China at the top of the board.
Finishing in style!
— KPMG Women's PGA Championship (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 22, 2023
Ruoning Yin makes birdie on her final hole of the day to finish her first round 4-under. #KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/lhnilfNT97
“It's pretty cool. I hope to see that more often,” Lin said. “’I know Ruoning is going to do well. She's a good iron player, and I feel like last week she took a week off, so she must be working on something. She's also very passionate, and she's a lot younger, more aggressive, so I learned a lot from her on that part.”
Lin has yet to win on the LPGA, but she’s been getting closer. A week ago at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, she tied for third. Both players live and practice in Orlando, and will get together for rounds ever couple of weeks. Yin won earlier this season at the DIO Implant LA Open. Funny, beyond being friends, Lin technically has another title in her relationship with the younger Yin: She also is her landlord. She rents the house she used to reside in to Yin.
“After she win,” Lin said, smiling, “I'm like, I need to raise the rent. It was way too low for you now.”
