Angel Yin is an 18-year-old professional female golfer. If you had not heard of her before the Solheim Cup, there is a strong chance that you’ve heard of her now. After joining the LPGA Tour this past spring, she was selected by U.S. Captain Juli Inkster to be a member of the team.
A Pick Long In The Making
Yin was the only true LPGA rookie on the American team, but Inkster had identified her as a candidate long before the media began hyping her up. Yin had made it clear to Inkster that she was ready to compete. Inkster told The Golf Channel, “Every time she passed me, she would say ‘I’m going to make your team.’ I loved that about her. She’s confident, but not cocky.”
Even though she is only 18, Yin has been competing and winning for a while. She was the California Women’s Amateur Champion at age 12. She then qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at age 13. At 14, she finished tied for 55th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Her first season on tour has featured seven top-20 finishes and two top-5 finishes.
Yin Made A Good Impression On Her Teammates
Yin’s attitude toward the game stood out most to her Solheim Cup teammates. Inkster said, “My team just loves her, loves her….she’s not afraid to go up to Cristie Kerr and say I want to play a practice round with your or a Stacy Lewis.” Stacy Lewis said, “She’s fearless. The shots she can hit, nobody else can hit. She has the length of Ariya Jutanugam but hits it higher and straighter.”
Michele Wie, a Solheim Cup teammate who Yin modeled her game after, has had nothing but praise for Yin. During one round at the Solheim Cup, Wie thought Yin had badly missed a tee shot on a long dogleg right. As they approached their shots, Wie realized that Yin had purposely carried the trouble areas, sitting clean in the middle of the fairway “just 100 yards in front of me.” Wie has also been very complimentary of Yin’s putting ability – Yin ranks 15th on tour in putting.
Invest In Your Junior’s Golf Game Early
Angel Yin did not just wake up the day before the Solheim Cup and magically become a great golfer. She invested a lot of time and hard work in the early stages of her career to put her in position to succeed. If there’s a young person in your life between the age of 8 and 17 that you know is interested in the game of golf, direct them to Westlake’s Junior Golf Program. All skill levels are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Enrollees will attend group lessons, swing and short game clinics, a rules and etiquette clinic, evening contests, and weekly tournaments.
The program has been run since 1990 by Westlake teaching professionals Chris Lehmann Vatcher and Steve Walker, who make the program both fun and instructional. Interested in learning more? Check out the Junior Club Website today!