SHIMA, Japan ' Shin Ji-yai won the Mizuno Classic for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and fifth overall win of the year, shooting a 5-under 67 on Sunday to easily hold off Mayu Hattori at Kinetsu Kashikojima.
Shin, the 20-year-old South Korean star who won the Womens British Open in August, had a 15-under 201 total. A three-time winner in six Korea LPGA Tour starts this year, she earned $210,000 in the event sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and Japan LPGA.
Yesterday and today I was really good with my iron shots, Shin said. Almost the best this year. It feels like I can make everything.
Hattori, the Japanese player coming off a victory last week in the JLPGAs IDC Otsuka Ladies, closed with a 67 to finish second, six strokes back.
Lim Eun-a (70) was third at 8 under, and Chung Il-mi (69), Wei Yun-jye (70) and Lee Jee-young (72) followed at 7 under.
Shin was 4 under on the front nine to move four strokes ahead of Hattori and Lee. The winner birdied Nos. 2 and 3 and eagled the par-5 seventh. Lee birdied the 10th to cut Shins lead to three, but dropped back with a double bogey on the par-3 11th.
I was very nervous on the first tee, Shin said. But I made birdies on the second and third holes and got more comfortable and confident.
Shin birdied the par-5 13th and had a six-stroke lead with four to play. She three-putted for a bogey on the par-4 15th, only her second bogey on the week and first in 47 holes, then birdied the par-5 16th and closed with two pars.
Hattori had a double bogey on the par-4 12th.
It was a tough day, Hattori said. But this was a good experience for me. There were a lot of good players here and its good to play against them.
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