Jiyai Shin wins the Mizuno Classic
Jiyai Shin won the Mizuno Classic by carding a 5-under 67 during the final round at Japan's Kintetsu Kashikojima course on Sunday. This was the second LPGA victory of the season secured by the South Korean player. With eight wins during her career, Jiyai
shin is now ranked number one in the LPGA rankings.
Overall, Jiyai finished with an 18-under overall and carded 65 and 66 in the opening rounds. This South Korean player was also triumphant in the Mizuno Classic in 2008. Now two years later, Shin has taken the title again with a two-stroke victory over Yani
Tseng. Winning $180,000 on Sunday, she has increased her season total to $1,779,768. This grand prize has left the player only $3,535 behind the leader of the money list, Na Yeon Choi. With two more events remaining in the season, there is a high chance that
Shin can top the list.
"This morning my feel was a little bit rushed, because I won at the Evian and the last couple of months I didn't win," Shin said. "I have had a lot of chances, but I didn't win. I am waiting all the time for the win. So this morning I felt pressure. The
first hole I made a birdie and after that I got more confident. But Yani was playing very well."
Yani Tseng, the golf star from Taiwan, posted a 66 during the final round. She said she really attempted to play well today. Tseng, who won three times this year, praised the winner saying she played very consistently. She said Jiyai is the greatest player
on tour and is very competitive.
Jiyai headed into the final round leading with two strokes over Stacy Lewis. She birdied all four par 5s in her bogey-less final round. The runner up, Tseng, shot birdies in the first of her eleven holes and was tied with the winner. Since she achieved par
in the last seven holes, victory was bestowed to Jiyai.
Shin said she very nervous when Tseng posted a birdie in the eleventh hole and there were more par 5s to go. With Tseng being a long hitter, she had the advantage of making easy birdies on the long par 5s and that was something that worried Shin.
Even though it seemed like Tseng had an upper hand, Jiyai took advantage of the par 5s with birdies on the thirteenth and sixteenth hole. It was her birdie on the par-5 16th hole that gave her a two advantage with two holes remaining.
It is a fact that Tseng made some mistakes and hence handed the victory to Shin. Yani leads the Japanese golf Champion Ai Miyazato by fourteen points in the player of the year race. Shin and Choi are tied for third place and are eighteen points behind Yani.
Ai, who has won five times this season, posted 79 in the second round and carding a 68 on Sunday, she tied for the 69th position with a 3 over. Since Ai was playing in her hometown, she really wanted to play well in it. Apparently, things didn’t
really work out for the former World number one.
The defending champion of the Mizuno Classic, Bo Bae Song, posted a final round 71 and tied for 56th place in the end.
The next LPGA tournament is the Lorna Ochoa Invitation will take place in Mexico. However, the most recent winner of the LPGA, Shin, won’t be participating in it. She said that she will take it easy for the next couple of weeks. Jiyai wants to rest up and
be in perfect shape for the LPGA Tour Championship.
With the LPGA Tour Championship being the season ending the tournament, it’s a big deal for all the ladies. The Tour Championship will take place in Florida in December.
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