Shin Da-in poses with the winner's trophy alongside her caddie. [Photo=KLPGA]
Shin Da-in poses with the winner's trophy alongside her caddie. [Photo=KLPGA]

Shin Da-in successfully defended her title at the KLPGA Tour's KG Ladies Open — with a purse of 1 billion won ($724,000) — becoming the first player in the tournament's history to do so.

Playing the final round Sunday at Sunningpoint Country Club (par 72) in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Shin carded nine birdies against one bogey for an 8-under-par 64, finishing at 17-under 271 and pulling three strokes clear of runner-up Park Hye-jun.

The victory — at the tournament's 15th edition — gave Shin her second career KLPGA title and a winner's check of 180 million won. She had claimed her maiden title at the same event last year, beating Yoo Hyun-jo in a two-hole playoff.

Shin entered the final round tied for the lead and seized outright control with five consecutive birdies on holes 3 through 7. She chipped close on the par-5 third for her first birdie, drained a 1.6-meter putt on the par-4 fourth, and holed a 6.6-meter effort on the par-3 fifth.

She followed with birdies from 1.7 meters and 2 meters on the par-4 sixth and seventh holes. A wayward tee shot into the rough on the par-5 ninth cost her a penalty and a bogey, but she bounced back with consecutive birdies on holes 10 and 11, then added birdies on 15 and 17 to seal the win. On the par-4 17th, she sank a 7.7-meter birdie putt to clinch the back-to-back title.

"I wasn't nervous before the round, but when it came down to it on the course, I felt a lot of tension," Shin said in her post-round interview. "The fans' cheers helped me relax. Today, for some reason, I felt like every putt was going to drop. I'm grateful to my parents, who have always been there cheering me on."

Park Hye-jun, who played in the final group alongside Shin, closed with a bogey-free 5-under round that included a 6.7-meter birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole, finishing at 14-under 274 for sole second place.

Jang Eun-su, who won the Jeju Samdasoo Masters on Aug. 9 for her first KLPGA title in 10 years on tour, shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 to finish at 13-under 275, sharing third place with Choi Ye-rim.

Seo Gyo-rim, who was chasing a third consecutive title, recovered from a double bogey on the par-5 ninth with six birdies to finish at 12-under 276, sharing fifth place with Choi Eun-woo and Yoo A-hyun.


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