Jenny Shin captures 1st LPGA win in Texas

South Korean golfer Jenny Shin captured her maiden LPGA Tour win in Texas on Sunday.

Shin had a bogey-free final round of four-under 67 at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in Irving, Texas, for a four-round total of 14-under 270.

Shin beat out two fellow South Koreans, Hur Mi-jung and Amy Yang, by two strokes to take home US$195,000 in the winner's check. Shin, who joined the tour in 2011, had gone winless in 135 starts before this one. She had posted 20 top-10 finishes before this breakthrough win.

Shin is projected to rise from No. 38 to No. 24 in the next world rankings.

Shin began the day trailing overnight leader Gerina Piller by four strokes at 10-under. The South Korean had a quick start with two birdies over her first three holes, and she added a third birdie at the par-four fifth.

Shin made her final birdie of the day at the par-five 10th and parred the rest of the way to hold on for the win.

Shin, whose Korean given name is Ji-eun, is the fourth South Korean to win on the LPGA Tour in 2016, joining Kim Hyo-joo, Jang Ha-na and Kim Sei-young.

Shin told LPGA.com afterward the victory still hadn't hit her in the immediate aftermath.

"I wanted to talk to my mum, but I was on the verge of tears so I hung up without really her answering the phone," she said. "I think it will hit me as soon as I talk to my mum, yeah. I don't have anything going on right now."

Shin said she had so many close calls prior to Sunday that she "kind of learned how to tune it out."

"I'm not sure I can repeat it exactly the same if I have a chance next time," she said. "I think every year I become a better player and I get a little bit more experience. And I think I've gotten a lot out of it every time I go through this, so hopefully next year will be better, the year after that will be better." (Yonhap)