Jenny Shin won for the first time in more than a decade at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open.
Shin, whose first LPGA title came at the 2016 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, tapped in for bogey on the 18th hole Sunday at Dundonald Links to end a 3,737-day drought.
“My first win didn’t really feel like a win at the time. I didn’t feel like I deserved it. But this one definitely feels a lot different,” Shin said. “This one feels like I earned it. I worked hard for it.”
That she did. Shin led by five shots through 54 holes and by eight after her second hole in the final round. But three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 6-8, combined with four consecutive birdies by A Lim Kim on Nos. 9-12, saw Shin’s advantage cut to two.
The 33-year-old, however, responded with a clutch par save on the ninth — to end the bogey run — and pair of birdies early on her back nine to give her the confidence and cushion needed to prevail. She closed with a couple of late bogeys for a 75, but good enough to finish two clear of Kim at 9 under.
“Just stay in it. Don’t sink the ship. Don’t mess up,” Shin said she told herself during the round. “I definitely have that over and over, and it was quite grim after my third bogey, and then to see the ball go off the green on No. 9, I was about to cry there. I was really happen see that I sunk that 7-footer.
“And then to come back with a birdie on No. 10, I felt pretty comfortable. I felt like I was ready to really take on anything.”
Shin earned $300,000 for her victory and a two-year tour exemption.
“I started working with my putting coach four years ago, and he asked me what my goal was. I said I needed to win before I retire,” Shin said.
It’s been a long, winding road for Shin, who was the youngest player (13) to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior and turned professional four years later, in 2010.
It took her six years to win on tour but the stretch thereafter proved more difficult. She even had times where she struggled to take the club back on her swing.
“I had a pretty rough patch in my career. This is my 16th (season) and from Year 8 to probably 12, I really struggled out here. I didn’t know what my goal was or motivation. So I spent a lot of my prime years searching for who I am. And I don’t regret spending that time at all but I learned a lot about who I am and what I want,” she said.
“And COVID really turned around my entire life. I feel like the last four years, I’ve kind of found a spark again to really love — because I’ve always loved golf. It’s just this job is so hard. This is such a difficult job. And to find love and to continue to love this job is incredibly difficult. So I found that spark after COVID, and I’m really glad I did because my No. 1 goal was win again. I’m going to do everything I can to win again.”