Lee Min-young, 34, who competes on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, is known as an "indomitable golfer." While playing on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer in March 2015, but overcame it. After adding a win the following year, she moved her main stage to Japan in 2017 and continues to roam the fields steadily, even now in her mid-30s.
On the 21st, Lee Min-young clearly etched her name into the JLPGA Tour record book. At the Nichirei Ladies event, she captured her eighth career tour victory after a grueling seven-hole playoff that lasted a remarkable 2 hours and 6 minutes. The 2 hours and 6 minutes marked the longest playoff in JLPGA Tour history, and the seven-hole playoff tied the record for most holes. She also added a new record by winning from behind after starting the final round in a tie for 24th, seven strokes behind the leader (the previous record was a tie for 20th). It was a victory of concentration, refusing to give up to the end in a 25-hole "marathon race" in a single day.
After her win, Lee Min-young said, "I've felt my stamina declining over the past two years, and I was really exhausted. But I focused on my own play, thinking that my opponent was just as tired." She added that she has been working to maintain her fitness, including attending a 24-hour fitness gym for several years.
Good news from a veteran can be expected this week as well. It is "the supreme one" Shin Ji-yai's turn, 38.
Shin Ji-yai will compete in the Earth Mondamin Cup, held over four days starting on the 25th at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Although not a major, it is a premier event with the JLPGA Tour's highest total purse of 400 million yen (about 3.8 billion won; winner's prize of 72 million yen).
Shin Ji-yai, who leads the JLPGA Tour in career earnings (1,480.81 million yen), would surpass 1.5 billion yen for the first time with a solo fifth-place finish or better in this tournament. Second in this category is Yuri Fudoh of Japan with 1,372.97 million yen, and third is Jeon Mi-jeong with 1,358.16 million yen, both trailing Shin by more than 100 million yen. Shin Ji-yai, who recorded her 29th career win at the Salonpas Cup in May last year, will also again challenge for the 30-win milestone.
Shin Ji-yai has been showing age-defying performance. She has competed in eight tournaments this year, made six cuts, and finished in the top 10 three times including one runner-up finish, marking 18th in season points ranking, 17th in scoring average (71.84 strokes), and 24th in earnings (21.17 million yen). In the US Women's Open and the Korea Women's Open, which she made time to enter, she finished tied for 34th and tied for 7th.
On the JLPGA Tour, where the strength of Japanese players centered on "young blood" has recently stood out, the presence of Shin Ji-yai and Lee Min-young can serve as a fresh stimulus. Korean players active on the Japanese stage harvested around 10 wins per year, including a combined 17 wins in 2016, but since 2020 they have struggled, with two wins in 2020, two in 2021, one in 2022, three in 2023, two in 2024, and one last year. During that period, Lee Min-young added one win each in 2024 and this year, while Shin Ji-yai accounted for two wins in 2023 and one last year. Even amid the severe win drought, the troubleshooters who maintained the lineage of champions and demonstrated the tenacity of "Korean strength" were precisely the veterans.
They say golf's almost only drawback is that it is so much fun it becomes easily addictive. I hope to share with you the joy of "reading golf," which is yet another pleasure distinct from playing golf and watching golf.
