Shin Ji-ae Runner-up 'Veteran Power'... Koepka 'I Am the Major Queen'

Tied for 2nd with Hull at the 78th US Women's Open
Kopuz's First Career Win... '2.6 Billion KRW Jackpot'
Hataoka 4th, Kim Hyo-joo 6th, Yoo Hae-ran 8th

Shin Ji-ae showcased the power of a veteran.

On the 9th (local time), at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, USA (par 72, 6,509 yards), she finished the final round of the 78th US Women's Open, the third major tournament of the 2023 LPGA Tour season (total prize money $11 million), with a 4-under-par, securing a tie for 2nd place (6-under-par 282 strokes). This marked her first top 3 finish in an LPGA Tour event in four years since she missed the cut at the 2019 US Women's Open.

Shin Ji-ae is teeing off at the 10th hole during the 4th round of the 78th US Women's Open.
[Pebble Beach (USA) = AP·Yonhap News]

Starting from a tie for 5th place, 5 strokes behind, Shin Ji-ae made five birdies (one bogey). She gained momentum with 'stepping stone birdies' on the 6th and 8th holes, and immediately recovered from a bogey on the 10th hole with a birdie on the 11th hole (both par 4s). In the back nine, she showed resilience by making birdies on the 14th and the final 18th hole (both par 5s). Her fairway hit rate was 86%, greens in regulation 72%, and she averaged 1.61 putts per hole, all impressive statistics.

Shin Ji-ae is a 'living legend' with a total of 64 wins worldwide on various tours. She has 20 wins on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, 28 wins on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, and 11 wins on the LPGA Tour. Since 2014, she has focused on the Japanese circuit. This year, she has already won twice on the JLPGA Tour and ranks 2nd in earnings (119.04 million yen), the Player of the Year points (1,302 points), and scoring average (70.17 strokes).

Allison Koepka (USA) shot 3-under-par with six birdies and three bogeys to claim a 3-stroke victory (9-under-par 279 strokes). She won for the first time in her career and earned a winner's prize of $2 million (approximately 2.6 billion KRW). Koepka is in her second year on the LPGA Tour, having debuted last year. This year, she has recorded two top-10 finishes, including a tie for 3rd at the HSBC Women's World Championship in March and a tie for 4th at the Chevron Championship in April. Her previous best individual result was runner-up at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in August last year.

Charlie Hull (England) surged with a 6-under-par round to jump into a tie for 2nd place. Hataoka Nasa (Japan), who was the leader the previous day, lost 4 strokes and dropped to a tie for 4th place (3-under-par 285 strokes). Kim Hyo-joo, who was tied for 3rd place, 3 strokes behind and looking for a comeback, struggled with a 2-over-par round and fell to a tie for 6th place (2-under-par 286 strokes). Rookie Yoo Hae-ran finished 8th (even par 288 strokes), and 'rising star' Rose Zhang (USA) lived up to expectations with a tie for 9th place (1-over-par 289 strokes).

For Korea, 'domestic number 1' Park Min-ji finished the tournament tied for 13th place (4-over-par 292 strokes) after reducing one stroke. Kim Se-young and defending champion Minjee Lee (Australia) also joined this group. Choi Hye-jin finished tied for 20th place (5-over-par 293 strokes), while Jeon In-ji and Lee Jeong-eun 6 tied for 27th place (6-over-par 294 strokes). World No. 3 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) finished tied for 33rd place (8-over-par 296 strokes), and No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA) ended up tied for 64th place (13-over-par 301 strokes).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.