South Korean winner - leading European joint 17th

It's a Far East 1-2-3-4-5 to
Women's BRITISH Open
at Sunningdale

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

South Korea’s Ji-Yai Shin came from a shot behind to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open by three strokes at Sunningdale Golf Club today.
A final round of 66 gave the 20-year-old an 18-under-par total of 270 with Taiwan’s Yani Tseng in second. South Korea’s Eun Hee Ji and Yuri Fudo of Japan were a shot further back in a tie for third.

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa of Mexico was expected to pile on pressure but she settled for a final round of 69 and a share of seventh with Japan’s Momoko Ueda on 11-under-par.

The victory was the first major championship of the 20-year-old Shin’s career, and she was the youngest ever winner of the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

“My whole life, I've been waiting for this time and my dream comes true now,” said the bespectacled Shin, who has won a hat-trick of titles this year on the Korean LPGA Tour. “This morning I was nervous and last night it was very difficult to sleep because I was so nervous, but I focused and concentrated on my game and now I’ve won!

“Today my driver and my irons, putting, everything was very well, very good, and so gave me confidence. Today, I felt comfortable,” said Shin who claimed a first prize of £160,000, becoming the third South Korean winner of the championship, following Se Ri Pak in 2001 and Jeong Jang in 2005.

She explained how she was inspired to play golf at the age of 11 after watching Pak win the 1998 US Women’s Open. “Before, I never know the golf,” she said, adding: “I'm watching her and then; now I'm watching her and still she's my hero.”

Shin, who is not a member of the LPGA Tour in the States, is now likely to become an international super star in her own right. She was planning to play in Japan for the next two years but her victory will give her the opportunity to play in America.

Shin’s final round was bogey-free, with three birdies on each of the front and back nine. She chipped to three feet at the first before rolling in her first birdie putt of the day, adding another birdie at the fifth hole to match third round leader Fudoh’s 14-under total.

When Shin birdied the par-4 ninth and Fudoh bogeyed it, there was a two-shot swing and Shin maintained her advantage over the last nine holes. She two-putted for birdie at the par-5 10th, then rolled in a 40ft birdie putt across the green at the par-3 13th to move three shots ahead.

A two-putt birdie at the par-5 14th hole cemented her lead.

Shin’s is a tale of triumph over tragedy. She lost her mother in a car accident while she was an amateur and her younger siblings were severely injured. It is rumoured that she helps her father take care of her brother and sister and that she dedicates her victories to the memory of her mother.

Of the Europeans, Minea Blomqvist was the leading representative in a share of share of 17th place on eight-under-par. Karen Stupples, who won at Sunningdale in 2004, finished in a share of 24th position with Annika Sorenstam and eight other players.

Sorenstam shot her best round of the week –a 68 – in the final round and received a huge cheer from the gallery as she birdied the last hole, playing in her last major championship before quitting tournament golf.

Sorenstam said: “When I made the corner from the leader board, it says, "Annika, you'll be missed." And I thought that was very special and I waved at the guys and they clapped and I came up 18 and everybody was cheering. You know, it just makes you feel good when you get that type of applause.

“You know, I've been out here for 15 years, and I've experienced a lot of joy, a few setbacks, but overall, it's been great. All of a sudden, everything just reflects on your mind and you're just grateful.

"This game has meant too much to me and if I didn't feel anything, it would be weird. So I'm glad.”

Europeans in a share of 24th included last year’s New Star Money List winner Sophie Gustafson of Sweden and Suzann Pettersen from Norway, who recently won tournaments in Switzerland and Ireland. Anna Nordvist from Sweden, winner of the British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick, a victory which got her an invitation to Sunningdale, was the leading amateur in a share of 42nd.

+The Long and the Short of It. Anna Nordqvist (left) is pictured at the top of the article with the championship winner, Ji-Yai Shin. Image by courtesy of the LET website.