She turned professional in 2005 and will enter the 2011 as the world’s no. 1 lady golfer.
Jiyai Shin, the five-foot-one South Korean, played for her country with partner Eun-Hee Ji against the tandem of Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin of the Philippines in the 2008 Women’s World Cup of Golf and lost.
But that setback and other defeats later on became part of her experience that inspired her to become better and—finally—the best lady player on the planet.
The improvements were very clear after the 2008 season when she averaged a score of 70.73. In 2009, she cut it down to 70.26 and when 2010 ended she came up with 69.95. Those averages also meant that in 2008, she earned $1.6 million, $1.8 million in 2009 and $1.7 million in 2010.
Life for Jiyai Shin was not easy though.
Her mother Song Suk Na was killed in a car accident was she was just 14. Her brother Ji Hoon and sister Ji Won were injured and stayed in the hospital for a year where Jiyai took care of them after taking a break from golf.
The early death of her mother had inspired her more to do better in a sport that has given them a very decent source of living. She even bought a home in Atlanta where she brought her family to live and it also became her base while travelling abroad to compete.
In an interview by Golf Channel, Jiyai said she thinks of her mom everyday and while she is a little bit sad, she knows that she’s getting help from her mom from heaven.
At 22 years old, Jiyai, who loves to sing, especially Celine Dion songs, has set her eyes on more victories in 2011 and hopefully join the ranks of fellow Koreans Ok-Hee Ku and Se Ri Pak as Korea LPGA Hall of Famer. [Moses P. Billacura with reports from LPGA/Golf Channel]
