'5th Place, 2 Shots Behind' Shin Ji-ae: "The Wind Did Not Help"

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"This is golf."

Shin Ji-ae is walking on the green at the 5th hole of the 4th round of the Pure Hills Park Se-ri Championship. [Palos Verdes Estates, USA = AFP·Yonhap News]

Shin Ji-ae was caught by the wind. On the 24th (local time), at the Palos Verdes Golf Club (par 71, 6,447 yards) in Palos Verdes Estates, California, USA, she slipped to a tie for 5th place in the LPGA Tour Pure Hills Park Se-ri Championship (total prize money $2 million). She had been co-leading through the third round, raising hopes for a victory as an invited player, but her shots faltered due to strong winds.

In a local interview, Shin Ji-ae said, "Many spectators came this week, so I tried to play well," adding, "Today's round was not easy, but I enjoyed it with the fans." A double bogey on the 12th hole (par 4), where she had been co-leading, handed the winner's trophy to Nelly Korda (USA). She reflected, "This course has very small greens, so you have to focus a lot on your shots," and added, "Today, the wind did not help. The wind made the game very difficult."

Shin Ji-ae is a 'living legend.' She has 28 wins on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, 20 wins on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour including one as an amateur, and 11 wins on the LPGA Tour, totaling 64 professional wins. This is the most professional wins among both male and female golfers in Korea. Since the 2014 season, Shin Ji-ae has mainly competed on the JLPGA Tour. Aiming to participate in the Paris Olympics this August, she has also appeared on other tours including in the United States.

Shin Ji-ae said, "It's still March, and many tournaments remain, so I think I gained valuable experience today," and added, "It will help in future competitions." She will compete next month at the Doosan Construction Weave Championship on the KLPGA Tour held in Jeju. Smiling, she said, "After yesterday's game, I received many messages asking, 'Have you returned to the U.S.?' I was grateful that people missed me."