Shin Wins in Playoff in Arkansas
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Shin Ji-yai has been known on the LPGA Tour as the "Final-Round Queen."
The South Korean lived up to her nickname, rallying from a seven-shot deficit to win the NW Arkansas Championship, Monday (KST).
She fired a bogey-free 7-under 64 for a 9-under 204 in the final round and defeated compatriot Yoo Sung-young and Angela Stanford of the United States in a playoff at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.
Kim Song-hee, the third-round leader, tied for fourth with Ahn Shi-hyun at eight-under.
An 8-meter birdie putt on the par-4 16th hole pushed Shin into a tie atop the leaderboard with Kim, and Shin added another birdie on No. 18 to finish the tournament at nine-under.
While Kim failed to match Shin's score, Stanford and Yoo made an eagle and a birdie, respectively, on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Shin, who had to wait two hours to play the extra holes.
After all three players birdied the first playoff hole at No. 18, Shin drained a 4-meter birdie putt for the win on the next hole.
Choi Hye-jung and Choi Na-yeon finished tied for seventh at 207, and Michelle Wie, who posted a 1-under, tied with Cristie Kerr at 27th.
"Today my goal was to be 2-under par, because I heard the rain coming and the windy day, so I want to just make under-par score," Shin said. "My shot was still good, and my putting was really, really good today."
"Then the last hole, I played the playoff, where I really felt pressure and nervous because I didn't think about the win this morning. I really felt I could try to get the chance. So, yeah, I really am happy."
It was the third victory of the season for the rookie, who won the HSBC Women's Champions in March and Wegmans LPGA in June, where she was down six shots until the third round.
The victory matches her win total from last year, when as a non-member, she claimed three titles - the Women's British Open, Mizuno Classic and ADT Championship.
The win is also the eighth on the LPGA Tour by a South Korean golfer this season.
Her three wins are the most by any golfer on the tour this season and her $270,000 winner's check also moves her atop the LPGA money list with $1,498,861, surpassing Kerr who has amassed $1,374,801 in earnings.
The 21-year-old golfer has also cemented her status as the top contender for the player of the year award, and made her all but a lock for top rookie honors.
Shin has accumulated 127 points and leads Kerr by 13 in the top golfer race and has a 585-point lead over Wie in the rookie of the year rankings.
Retired world golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez of the United States was the last to capture both honors in 1978.
"That would be huge," Shin admitted when asked about the prospect of grabbing both. "A huge thing for me, because I'm a rookie this year, so I've just been focusing on the rookie of the year. But now I have a chance for player of the year, too. So, I want to now focus on the whole thing. If I get both, I think I can't live with myself, it would be so exciting."