Shin Ji-eun wins Scottish Open, ending 10-year LPGA victory drought

Shin Ji-eun has finally captured her second career LPGA Tour victory, triumphing at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open after a remarkable 3,737-day wait since her first win in 2016. The 33-year-old South Korean golfer achieved a dominant wire-to-wire victory, never relinquishing the lead from the opening round to the final day.

Despite facing the notoriously challenging winds of Scotland in the final round, Shin maintained her composure. She carded a 3-over-par 75, with five bogeys and two birdies, to finish at 9-under-par 279. This secured her a two-stroke victory over fellow South Korean Kim A-lim, who finished at 7-under-par. The win earns Shin a prize of $300,000 (approximately 430 million won).

“

When I won for the first time, I didn't really feel like I had won, and I even doubted if I deserved to win, feeling it was like a coincidence. This win is completely different. I feel like I've worked really hard, and I've finally achieved this by my own strength.

Shin's journey to this second victory was arduous. She admitted that her first win felt almost accidental, leaving her questioning her qualifications. "This win is completely different," Shin stated in a post-round press conference. "I feel like I've worked really hard, and I've finally achieved this by my own strength."

“

I thought, 'What's going to happen?' when I bogeyed three holes in a row, but I didn't give up and held on until the end. I am very proud of myself and very happy.

She recalled a tense moment in the final round when she bogeyed three consecutive holes from the 6th to the 8th, allowing her pursuers to close the gap to just two strokes. However, Shin rallied with birdies on the 10th and 12th holes, regaining control of the lead. After sinking her final putt on the 18th, she was overcome with emotion, shedding tears of joy amidst congratulations from her peers.

Shin's victory extends a successful period for South Korean golfers on the LPGA Tour. She follows recent major wins by Yoo Hae-ran at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship. This latest triumph brings the total number of LPGA wins by South Korean players this season to six, including two wins by Kim Hyo-joo and one each by Lee Mi-hyang, Yoo Hae-ran, and now Shin Ji-eun.

“

Keep struggling, keep moving forward. The world isn't ending.