Shin Wins Women’s Open as Singh Ends Drought

Shin Ji-yai was not even a member of the LPGA Tour prior to the Women’s British Open at Sunningdale, England.

She now becomes the latest Korean to join a multitude of her compatriots on the premier women’s tour, as well as sealing her place in the Open for the next 10 years, after her brilliant victory at over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Vijay Singh reminded everyone that he is still very much alive when he won the World Golf Championship in Akron, Ohio.

Asian players dominated the Sunningdale tournament, taking the top five positions and eight of the top 13, with 20-year-old Korean LPGA player Shin shooting a final round six-under-par 66 to beat Taiwan’s Tseng Ya-ni by three strokes.

Shin totalled 18-under-par 270 for her first major title and the winner’s prize of $314,464. Tseng also closed with a 66 to finish on 273 with Ji Jee-eun (67) and third-round leader Yuri Fudoh (71), of Japan, tied for third on 274.

Shin also claimed the second-lowest winning score, one off Karen Stupples 269 in 2004, also at Sunningdale. In addition, she qualified for the ADT Championship at the end of the season. She said on the LPGA website:

“My whole life, I’ve been waiting for this time and my dream comes true now. My father, actually he wanted me to play in the Japan tournament, because he thinks I’m not yet ready for the LPGA, and he wanted more training for Japan. But now that I’ve made a win, maybe he will change his mind.”

Shin took up gold at the age of 11, having previously played archery, one of the sports in which Koreans are world-class. By 14 she was playing off a scratch handicap.

World number one and last year’s winner, Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, was tied for seventh after her final round of 69 gave her total of 277.

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Meanwhile, Michelle Wie, criticised for missing the Open qualifiers to play in a PGA Tour event, missed the cut for the eighth time, this time at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.

In Akron, Singh ended a 34-tournament drought for a two-under-par 68 and a one-shot victory over Lee Westwood and Stuart Appleby.

Singh had a jittery end, missing a string of putts over the back nine but he managed to hold off his rivals and avoid a play-off.

World number two Phil Mickelson led by a stroke until he fluffed the last four holes, picking up three bogies along the way.

For former world number one Singh, the only man to knock Tiger Woods off the top perch, it was a welcome to form, allowing him to move back to number four in the world after dropping out of the top 10.

Singh finished on 10-under-par 270 with Appleby also scoring 68 in his final round while Westwood managed to shoot 69.

South African Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson tied for fourth, Goosen shooting a fourth-round 67 as Mickelson limped home with 70.


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