Shin rewarded for consistency at Evian
BY Bruce Young | Ladies European Tour | 2010 Evian Masters | Round Four | 26 Jul 2010
Korean Jiyai Shin today won only her first event of the 2010 LPGA Tour season but such has been her level of consistency this year that her victory at the Evian Masters has taken her to the top of the LPGA Tour money list. This was Shin’s eighth top five in 11 LPGA Tour starts in 2010 in addition to four top five finishes in five starts on the Japan Ladies Tour including a victory.
The victory is likely to move her back to the top of the Rolex World Rankings, a position she held for several weeks before an appendix operation allowed others to take over albeit briefly.
A final round of 67 today gave Shin a one shot victory over the brilliant 15 year old Alexis Thompson, Morgan Pressel and Na Yeon Choi, the US$487,500 winner’s cheque taking her earnings on this year’s LPGA Tour money list to US$1,167,000 and US$122,000 ahead of Suzann Pettersen.
Shin played in the final group of the day with Morgan Pressel and, playing the final hole, was tied with Thompson, Pressel and Choi. Shin was able to birdie the last and break clear of what otherwise would have been a four way playoff while Pressel missed from shorter range.
Pressel appeared to be the one to beat when she took a two shot lead into the final round and eagled the par four 5th hole then birdied the 9th to be at 14 under and cruising. At that point she enjoyed a two shot lead over Shin but she bogeyed the 10th and then failed to secure the one extra birdie she needed over the closing eight holes.
Choi burst from the pack with four birdies in her last five holes to grab a share of second with Pressel and the brilliant Thompson who was paying just her third event as a professional. Thompson, looking to become the youngest ever winner of an LPGA Tour event , appeared to have blown her chances when she bogeyed the 16th but defying her age she birdied the final two holes and waited while the last two groups finished their rounds.
Thompson, Morgan and Pressel earned US$246,000 each for their share of second and along with the US$72,000 Thompson earned for finishing 10th at the recent US Women’s Open, she is off to a great start to her professional career.
Suzann Pettersen was a chance to contend for the title when she raced to the turn in 31 but was unable to go on with it and finished alone in 5th position.
The leading Australian was Lindsey Wright who finished 37th while Karrie Webb was 48th.
The LPGA and Ladies European Tours will now play the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.
