[BODY]
Ten years ago, in 2016, I met Shin Ji-eun at a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour venue. She said, "I've seen many players who repeatedly slip at the threshold of victory and are eventually forgotten. I don't want to become one of them." Two months later, Shin claimed her first career LPGA Tour title at the Texas Shootout.
Over the following 10 years, Shin failed to add another win. Her name faded in the memories of fans. Perhaps she gritted her teeth this time, too, out of a fear of being forgotten. Shin won again after 10 years — at the LPGA Tour's ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open (total purse: $2 million).
On the 26th (local time), Shin shot a 3-over-par with two birdies and five bogeys in the final fourth round held at Dundonald Links (par 72) in North Ayrshire, Scotland, U.K. Finishing with a total of 9-under-par 279, Shin held off runner-up Kim A-lim (7-under-par 281) by two strokes.
Before this event, Shin's performance had been lackluster this season, with just one top-10 finish across 13 tournaments. But at this event, she led from the opening day all the way to the top. The winner's prize was $300,000 (about 440 million won).
With Shin's victory, Korean women players have combined for six wins on the LPGA Tour this season, including Lee Mi-hyang's one win (Blue Bay LPGA), Kim Hyo-joo's two wins (Fortinet Founders Cup, Ford Championship), and Ryu Hae-ran's two wins (KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Amundi Evian Championship). A rare record was also set this year, with Korean players winning both the men's and women's Scottish Opens. Two weeks earlier, Kim Joo-hyung had captured the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour's Genesis Scottish Open.
Born in Korea in 1992, Shin immigrated to the United States with her family in 2001 at age 9. Although she first picked up a golf club at age 8 while in Korea, she began playing golf in earnest only after moving to the United States. Shin emerged onto the scene by winning the U.S. Girls' Junior in 2006, and after going through the LPGA's second-tier tour in 2010, she joined the LPGA Tour starting in 2011.
Starting the day with a five-stroke lead, Shin briefly wavered with three straight bogeys on holes 6-8, seemingly due to the pressure of a win after 10 years. But she cut one stroke each on the 10th and 12th holes (both par 4), widening the gap over her pursuers to four strokes. Shin sent her tee shot into the rough on the 16th hole (par 4) for a bogey and lost another stroke on the 18th hole (par 5), but none of it stood in the way of her victory.
Kim A-lim finished as runner-up, cutting four strokes.
