Permanent JLPGA Tour Exemption with One More Win in Japan (29 Career Victories)
Off-Season Training in Melbourne with Korean and Japanese Players
"I'm Not Thinking About Retirement Yet"
Jiyai Shin is known as the "icon of hard work." She is renowned for her intense training regimen, and she is especially famous for putting in even more effort during her off-season training camps.
In a recent interview at the Madcatos flagship store, her apparel sponsor located in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Shin revealed that she would be heading to Melbourne, Australia for off-season training on January 4 next year. Explaining her choice, she smiled and said, "The days are long in Melbourne. I can practice until 9 p.m."
She has arranged her accommodation right at the golf course. Shin shared, "My schedule is to start at 6 a.m. and train until 9 p.m. Basically, I spend all my time training except when I eat." She plans to return to Korea after the Lunar New Year (February 17 next year) to prepare for the first Japanese tournament scheduled for the first week of March.
"The living legend" Shin Ji-ae vowed to show an unwavering performance next year as well. Photo by No Rae
In Melbourne, she will be training for about a month alongside eight players from the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour and the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour. "I like off-season training because it's a time when I can focus solely on myself, reflect, and hone my senses," she said. "This year, I'm especially looking forward to training with both Korean and Japanese tour players."
Jiyai Shin is truly the "living legend" of Korean women's golf. She has achieved a total of 66 career victories, including 21 wins on the KLPGA Tour, 29 on the JLPGA Tour, 11 on the LPGA Tour, and 6 on the Ladies European Tour. She currently focuses mainly on the JLPGA Tour. Last May, she claimed her 29th JLPGA Tour victory by winning the major World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup. Participating in 22 tournaments, she finished in the top 10 ten times, becoming the all-time leading money winner on the JLPGA Tour with 1,459,630,000 yen (approximately 13.8 billion won).
Jiyai Shin is smiling while holding the trophy right after winning the major Salonpas Cup in May. Photo by JLPGA
Although Shin had what appeared to be a solid season this year, she confessed that she was left with some regrets. "I could have had a more relaxed year since I secured my first win early, but it turned out to be a tough season," she explained. "I struggled during the summer and started to feel better toward the end of the fall, so I wanted to finish with a win, but unfortunately, it didn't happen."
Regarding her struggles during the summer, she admitted, "Normally, even if things don't go well during a tournament, I have no trouble recovering and moving on, but this year, I felt like I was getting pulled in deeper." She reflected, "From winter training, I was focused solely on the Salonpas Cup, and when I achieved that result, I think I became a bit complacent. I was so focused on the outcome that I lost sight of the process and was only training for results."
This year marks her 20th year as a professional. She credits her longevity to balancing training and rest. Born in 1988, she is now entering her late 30s. Regarding retirement, she stated firmly, "Every year, I promise myself to be obsessed with golf. I have no thoughts of retiring yet." She added, "As more of my friends retire, I thought I might start picturing my own retirement, but it hasn't happened yet. I actually enjoy pushing myself as an active player," she laughed. "With that kind of passion, I think I can stay in the game longer."
Shin predicts that Japanese women's golf will remain strong for the time being. Japanese players combined for seven wins on the LPGA Tour this year, making Japan the country with the most victories. Rookie Miyu Yamashita (2 wins) earned the Rookie of the Year award, while Chisato Iwai, Akie Iwai, Rio Takeda, Mao Saigo, and Nasa Hataoka (each with 1 win) also joined the winners' circle.
On the rise of Japanese golf, she commented, "Japanese players have a strong sense of challenge. I want to commend them for giving up the comforts of Japan to take on the challenge in the United States." In contrast, she offered some tough love to her Korean juniors: "Korean players tend to settle for the domestic tour. I hope they dream bigger and take on greater stages."
Jiyai Shin said she aims to quickly secure her first win on the JLPGA Tour to reach a total of 30 victories. Photo by Norae.
Shin is now just one win away from meeting the JLPGA Tour's lifetime exemption requirement of 30 victories. Her primary goal for next year is to secure that "one win." She said, "So many people are looking forward to it, and I really want to achieve it. If I can ease the pressure, I think I can play more comfortably. I want to get that win quickly and go on to win even more."
She also shared her plans for the start of the 2026 season: "The Japanese tour usually starts in the first week of March, so I will prepare for that. The Australian Women's Open, where I am the defending champion, has been postponed to March, after the start of the Japanese tour. I'm considering which event to play and am discussing it with Golf Australia." There will be some changes to her staff next year, including a new caddie. Shin concluded, "Next year, I'll have a strong team around me. I want to create a good process and achieve great results until the very end."
Shin Ji-ae is cheering after securing victory at the ISPS Australia Women's Open last December. Shortly after, she is smiling brightly while holding the trophy. Photo by AP Yonhap News
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