16-year-old Ren Yijia from Dalian held her nerve under immense playoff pressure, making a beautiful birdie to defeat 17-year-old Canadian-Chinese player Liu Hui in the rain at Mission Hills Golf - Olazabal Course in Dongguan, winning the 2026 Huitai Women's Open.
This was Ren Yijia's fifth victory on the China LPGA Tour and her first win since turning professional. She ultimately won the championship prize of a Huitai Technology SPICA 3 Plus portable simulator and her first career golf tournament prize money: 144,000 RMB.
Ren Yijia entered the final round tied for the lead with peer Peng Yanxuan. She carded a 69 on Saturday, but was caught by Liu Hui, who started in the group ahead and shot an impressive 66. Both finished at 205 strokes, 11-under-par, requiring a playoff to determine the winner.
On the 18th hole of regulation, both Ren and Liu made some mistakes. Liu aimed for the left edge of the fairway bunker but mishit into the sand. After hitting the green with her next shot, she two-putted for par. Ren knew she needed a birdie to win outright, but her approach shot wasn't precise enough, and she then three-putted.
Returning to the tee of this devilish hole for the playoff, Ren teed off first and again found the fairway. Liu successfully avoided the bunker but found the rough beside the sand. With 177 yards remaining, Ren hit the most impressive shot of the day with a 5-iron, landing her ball 9 feet from the flag. Liu's 7-iron left her with another long putt, and she could only two-putt for par. Ren ultimately held her nerve, made the birdie, and secured her fourth CLPGA Tour victory in seven months.
"It's amazing. My first CLPGA Tour win was in a playoff," said Ren Yijia. "And today, my first win as a professional also came in a playoff. My pressure and nervousness didn't decrease, but I'm very happy to win in the end."
"My golf career started on a simulator. I participated in my first national junior competition through Huitai's online challenge. In January this year, I became a Huitai contracted player, and now I've won a Huitai tournament. We really have a special connection. I want to thank Huitai Technology for sponsoring and organizing such a high-level event, giving me the opportunity to compete with so many excellent players and ultimately achieve victory."
The competition in the final round was indeed fierce, although Ren Yijia seemed to have the victory in hand at the beginning. When she made a chip-in birdie on the par-5 9th hole, shooting 34, she held a three-stroke advantage.
However, Liu Hui launched a fierce comeback on the back nine, birdying three consecutive holes from 11 to 13, including a chip-in birdie on 12. Ren Yijia witnessed that moment, then made a bogey on the same hole. With Liu Hui's 6-foot birdie putt on 13, the two were tied.
"I was in the group behind them, and I saw Liu Hui's birdie. When she chipped in, I thought to myself, 'she's really good,'" said Ren Yijia. "But I wasn't affected by her. I made a bogey on the same hole, mainly because I didn't play well myself."
Later, Liu Hui made an 8-foot birdie on the signature 15th hole at Olazabal, but Ren Yijia sank a 12-foot birdie putt to tie her, keeping the suspense alive until the playoff.
Liu Hui won Best Amateur and received a SPICA 3 Plus portable simulator. In her interview, she said: "I didn't look at the leaderboard during the competition, but I knew I was playing well. I saw many spectators gathering around us, so I roughly knew the situation. Making it to the playoff shows I did well. Not winning in the end is definitely a bit regrettable, but Ren Yijia won with a birdie, and she deserved it."
Liu Hui participated in this tournament through a Huitai sponsor exemption. She will compete in the Chevron Championship next month. "This tournament was definitely great preparation, because Toronto is still cold and frozen," she said. "We were able to play such a great course in good weather, and I'm grateful for that."
Sui Xiang (68), Aonphanit (69), and Peng Yanxuan (74) finished tied for third at 210 strokes, 6-under-par.
"Actually, I'm satisfied with this result because it's my best finish on the CLPGA Tour," said Peng Yanxuan, who entered the field through Monday qualifying. "I started feeling nervous last night, after all, this was my first time playing in the final group."
Zhou Shiyuan matched the day's low round of 66, tying with Xu Ying (70) for sixth place at 211 strokes, 5-under-par.
The 2026 Huitai Women's Open was organized by the China Golf Association, certified by the China LPGA Tour, title-sponsored by Huitai Technology, and co-organized by CLPGA Events (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and Huitai Technology, with support from the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau. The Guangdong Golf Association and Dongguan Tangxia Town Cultural Service Center served as co-organizers, and Mission Hills Golf Club - Olazabal Course in Dongguan was the host venue. Themed "AI Empowering Her Power," the tournament introduced Huitai Technology's cutting-edge AI technology, achieving a two-way fusion of technology and competition, opening a new chapter of "digital intelligence" for the CLPGA Tour.
The 2026 Huitai Women's Open also received strong support from tour sponsors Belkin Golf, SVG Golf, Huitai Technology, Riklim, TaylorMade, and official water partner C'estbon.
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