Jiyai Shin trails Stacy Lewis in Rolex Play of the Year Award race
South Korean Jiyai Shin has done well in the current LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) season as she has moved up to the second position on the Rolex Player of the Year Award list, according to the latest stats.
Shin, who is one of the strongest contenders in South Korea, may have had a bit of a rough time proving her mettle in the current season, but the LPGA titan has a much greater task at hand: how to grab the first position on the Rolex Player of the Year Award list.
Although rattled by intense competition that has seen American Stacy Lewis recently seize the first position in the race, Shin has expressed her intentions for the year, saying she is keen to prove her worth no matter how hard the coming tournaments may prove to be.
Having earned 128 points so far, Shin is trailing Lewis cautiously with her sights set on the coveted award. The South Korean gained her current position thanks to plenty of hard work and strong finishes in the season.
Unlike most of the other contenders, Shin has managed to steer clear of injuries and form issues, which has been lucky and her game is now more perfect than ever before.
The LPGA phenom has won two tournaments so far. She participated in the much-hyped Kingsmill Championship 2012 in early September and clinched a victory against American Paula Creamer in playoff. The match was the scene of relentless battle as Creamer put her maximum effort to keep the title with the United States, but the South Korean golfer was firm to hold her ground till the final moment.
Another big battle came up at the Ricoh Women’s British Open 2012, a major championship both on the LPGA Tour and LET (Ladies European Tour), and Shin was even more ambitious this time. She inflicted a nine-shot defeat on a battle-hardened Inbee Park.
Although the 2012 LPGA season is coming to a close, players still have six tournaments to go and a surprise change in the top positions cannot be ruled out.
Observers said that Shin’s biggest concern will be to win as many matches as she can. Winning an event may not be as easy as it seems, but any position inside the top ten will help her gain some points.
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