KLPGA Update

The next KLPGA event, the SK Energy Invitational, took place from September 14 - 16th. The big focus in the press was on Ji Yai Shin, who was trying to become the first woman in history to win 6 KLPGA tournaments in a single year. The other top KLPGA stars were to be there to try to stop her.

Jin Joo Hong was on hand to defend the title she won last year. That win had been her first professional victory. Back then, she destroyed a tough field that included Mi Hyun Kim and Grace Park, winning by seven strokes. Another former champ, Bo Bae Song, was playing as well, taking time off from the JLPGA, where she usually plays.

This year, several other LPGA stars were also present. Two LPGA winners from this year, Mi Hyun Kim and Young Kim, participated, as did Kyeong Bae. How's this for a pairing: Shin was to play the first round with Young and Kimmie.

In the first round, the defending champion, Jin Joo Hong, had a good start to her title defense. She ended up struggling a little bit, but carded a 2 under par 70 to leave her tied for fifth place.

But four players were tied for the lead at 4 under, and one of them was a very familiar face. Yep, once again, Ji Yai Shin got out to a good start. She pretty much destroyed her playing partners: Young Kim shot a one over par 73, and Kimmie a 2 over par 74.

Another player tied for the lead was Ha Neul Kim. The previous week, Kim benefited from the mistake the officials made to take the first round lead away from Shin, only to have Shin blow past her in the final round to win. Could a grudge match be brewing here?

So, just how good is Ji Yai Shin? Could anybody stop her from getting her sixth win of the year? Well, Jin Joo Hong (pictured) certainly gave it the old college try.

On a course where she won easily last year, Hong was again playing great golf. In round two, from the ninth hole to the 14th, a six hole stretch, Hong had 5 birdies. But Shin was playing well herself, and started the day with a two shot lead over Hong. Shin had two bogies and three birdies on the front nine, and added birdies on 10 and 14 to move to 7 under par, at the time a shot behind Hong. But Jin Joo ran out of birdies after that and finished the day at 8 under. Shin, however, was just getting started: she birdied 15, 17 and 18 to move to 10 under and maintain her 2 shot lead over Hong.

Meanwhile, unheralded Eun Ah Lim was beating them both. She started the day at even par, but shot a blistering 8 under par 64 that included one eagle, six birdies and no mistakes. She moved into a tie for second with Jin Joo. Her 64 was the day's best round, and one of the best all year on tour.

One of the LPGA stars had a good day. Kyeong Bae shot a 5 under par 67 to move to 5 under total. She had a lot of work to do if she wanted to catch Shin, but at least she was in the ballpark. Young Kim only shot an even par round, while Kimmie was one over for the day; both were well back in the field.

Signs were looking good for Shin to make history on Sunday. Hong seemed to be the only player with a realistic shot at toppling her.

Ji Yai Shin entered the final round of the SK Energy Invitational with history on her mind. She had a two shot lead over the defending champion, Jin Joo Hong (pictured). With a win, she would become the first KLPGA star to ever win 6 times in a single season on that tour.

To nobody's surprise, she successfully pulled it off, carding a five shot win over Hong, but it was not quite as easy as the score may indicate. On the front nine, Shin made birdies on three of the first six holes to move to 13 under par, while Hong, her nearest challenger, started the day with a bogey. But Hong improved after that, making birdies on holes 3, 4 and 7 to move to 10 under. The other player who started the day at 8 under, Eun Ah Lim, began her day with a double bogey and never contended again.

At this point, things looked great for Shin, but she finished the front nine with two straight bogies to fall to 11 under. Hong made bogey on 9, and the lead at the turn was two, just like it was at the start of the day. For a brief moment, it looked like nerves might be getting the better of Ji Yai Shin.

But like the champion she is, Shin immediately made two birdies on the next two holes to return to 13 under. Even a bogey on the next hole did not derail her, and while she finished her day with pars, her main opponent Hong was not able to cut into her lead. Hong reached her worst moment on the 16th hole, when she made a double bogey to drop back to 7 under, where she would finish. It was only at that point, with a five shot lead, that Shin could relax and enjoy her historic 6th win.

In just two years as a pro, Shin has racked up 9 wins on the KLPGA (she also won an event as an amateur before joining the tour). She also has 7 total international wins this season, the most of any Korean in the world, including a ten shot victory at the Thai Open. Her money total of 425,166,667 won (to date) breaks the all time KLPGA record which she herself set last season. Her scoring average is once again well under 70 at 69.52; she looks poised to break her own all time lowest KLPGA scoring average, which she also set last year.

More stats: Shin had played 11 KLPGA events this year up to the SK Invitational. She had 10 top fives and an 11th place finish in those events. Besides her 6 wins, she had a second, two thirds and a fifth. Shin isn't just good; she's ALWAYS good.

One bit of non-Shin news was the good performance of Hee Young Park. Once touted as the next big thing on tour, she has seen herself eclipsed by Shin the past two years. But she shot a solid 69 on Sunday to move into a tie for second with Hong, her best finish in some time.

Earlier this year, Shin became the first golfer in ten years to collect three straight KLPGA tournament wins. She now had two straight and could do it again at the next event. Meanwhile, she had also won 5 of the last six events on tour. What would this superstar pull off next?