Mizuno Classic 2012: Jiyai Shin jittery on front nine in second round
South Korean Jiyai Shin made sluggish start in the second round of Mizuno Classic 2012, as she shot a 37 on the front nine, with two bogeys and one birdie.
Shin got off to a superb start in the three-round LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) event, being staged at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, Shima-s**+, Mie, Japan, as she posted
a 68 to share the lead with Ayako Uehara of Japan.
The South Korean star appears to have dented her hard-earned position in the second round, given the results on the front nine, but she still has plenty of chances to regain her momentum.
Sharing her thoughts during her first-round interview on Friday, Shin said that she is happy with her performance, but will have to focus more on the greens, as she found it a little hard
to maintain accuracy.
She said that the weather conditions were not that bad, but strong winds troubled players.
“Today the weather was so windy, so I played really hard. My strength is accuracy on the fairway and greens but today I missed a lot of the greens,” said Shin who has won 10 LPGA titles so
far in her pro career.
She went on to say that her plan for the second and third round is to avoid making bogeys, which is the key to keeping on the safe side.
“But my chipping was good and my putting was good. I made only one bogey on the last hole, but I’m really happy with my score. Especially, on Wednesday I changed my club for a new model. Today,
I played with a new club on the first day of the tournament and I think it was a good start”.
The second round has seen other South Korean and Japanese stars rise to the top and it is expected that Asians will remain in contention till the final moments of the event.
Shin is considered to be one of the most destructive female golfers. What makes her stand out in Japan is her stellar performance at the Mizuno Classic, as she has racked up two titles so
far.
She won her first title of the tournament in 2008 by outperforming Japanese Mayu Hattori by six strokes.
Then in 2010, she once again gripped Japanese fans’ attention, beating current world number one Yani Tseng by two strokes.
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