Shin Ji-yai finishes 5th at Seri Pak Championship

Shin Ji-yai, known as one of the 'Se-ri's Kids'—a term referring to those who took up golf inspired by Pak Se-ri's success—tied for fifth place in the LPGA Tour event named after Pak Se-ri. Shin, aged 36, shot 2-over par in the final four rounds of the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club near Los Angeles, California, on Monday, finishing tied for fifth with a final total of 7-under par 277. She ended two strokes behind the winner, Nelly Korda, and earned nearly $70,000 in prize money. Initially established in 2018 as the LA Open, the event debuted this year as the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship.

Shin, who plays on The Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (JLPGA) Tour, competed in the tournament as an invited player. As a child, Shin was an archer, and she took up golf the year after Pak won the 1998 U.S. Women's Open. She is competing for a spot in the Paris Olympics and asked the tournament's host, Pak Se-ri, to give her an opportunity to play in the championship. To qualify for the Olympics, it is advantageous to compete on the U.S. Tour, where more world ranking points are at stake.

After shooting 8-under par in the third round the day before, Shin was tied for the lead heading into the fourth round in the championship group. However, back-to-back bogeys on the first and second holes set her back. Shin managed to bounce back with birdies on the third and seventh holes, but a double bogey on the 12th ultimately pulled her out of the title race. “I didn't have any help from the wind today, so it was tough,” Shin said after the tournament.

Despite missing the title, Shin has emerged as the highest-ranked Korean among the 20 players. She has secured five top-five finishes in the seven LPGA Tour events she has played since last year. “I received a lot of messages from people asking if I'm back in the U.S.,” said Shin, who competed in her first mainland tournament eight months after finishing second at the U.S. Women's Open in July last year. “I'm grateful that people missed me,” she said. “It's still March, and plenty of tournaments are left, so this experience will aid me in my next game."


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com