Angel Yin Wins Aon Trophy and $1 Million Prize in Decisive Victory
AON a leading global professional services firm, and the LPGA Tour today announced Angel Yin as the champion of the 2023 Aon Risk Reward Challenge. As the winner of the season-long competition, Yin will be awarded both the Aon Trophy and the $1 million prize for her ability to make better decisions on the most strategically challenging holes throughout the LPGA Tour season.
“I’m thrilled to be named the Aon Risk Reward Challenge Champion this year,” says Yin. “Golf is shaped by decision-making under pressure, so it’s great to be recognized for something that is so key to success in this game. Several talented players have won this title before me and it’s an honor to join in this legacy and stand alongside them as a winner of the Aon Trophy.”
This season was full of many firsts for Angel Yin. Just last month, after 159 starts, Yin secured her first win at the Buick LPGA Shanghai where she defeated current Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lilia Vu in a one-hole playoff. It was not the pair’s first battle this season as the Chevron Championship, in Texas, played earlier this year also ended in a duel between the two young stars. Yin left Texas with second place in that major. And now, she adds the coveted Aon Trophy to her growing list of accolades. Yin joins three other players on the LPGA Tour who previously took home the Aon Trophy – Carlota Ciganda (2020), Hannah Green (2021) and Minjee Lee (2022). In 2020, due to the global pandemic, the prize money was not awarded to an individual, but was reallocated to support the re-start of the LPGA Tour season and the newly created LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club.
“When we launched the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, our goal was to create a program that recognized players’ remarkable decision-making abilities and create a first-of-its-kind opportunity for players on the LPGA Tour,” said Lambros Lambrou, Chief Executive Officer, Human Capital, Aon. “We are thrilled to celebrate Angel as this year’s Challenge champion and proud to recognize the program’s five-year milestone with our partners at the LPGA Tour.”
At its inception in 2019, the $1 million dollar Aon Risk Reward Challenge prize became the largest single monetary prize on the LPGA Tour, a groundbreaking initiative and the start of a new wave of significant investments in the women’s game that would quickly follow. In 2023, the LPGA Tour has awarded a record-breaking $108 million in prize money across 36 official and unofficial events, spanning 12 countries and regions and 11 U.S. states, an increase of 54% compared to 2021.
“The LPGA is experiencing tremendous growth. This growth is a result of the amazing talent of our players and partners like Aon who understand the enormous value and impact their support of these athletes can have on both their business and on elevating girls and women, on and off the golf course”, said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “Over the past five years, this Challenge has brought not only substantial prize money to our players, but it has also helped shed a spotlight on our league. A special congratulations to Angel on becoming this year’s Challenge champion, adding another incredible achievement to her already outstanding season.”
The combination of Yin’s elite ball-striking and incredible short game helped her stay atop the leaderboard throughout the season and ultimately helped her clinch the competition in the final weeks. Angel went for the green on 46% of this year’s Challenge holes, compared to her overall ‘go for green’ percentage of 12% on all drivable par-4’s and second shot par-5’s overall. Her strategic approach allowed Angel to reach the green successfully 24% of the time and helped her secure a spot within the top 15 on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained around the green on all Challenge holes.