▲ Shin Da-in poses with the trophy after winning the 15th KG Ladies Open held at Sunning Point Country Club in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on the 30th.
Defending champion Shin Da-in has claimed her second consecutive victory at the Korea Women's Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour KG Ladies Open (total purse of 1 billion won).
On the final day of the tournament held at Sunning Point Country Club (par 72) in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on the 30th, Shin fired an 8-under-par 64 with nine birdies and just one bogey.
Finishing with a tournament total of 17-under-par 271, Shin beat runner-up Park Hye-jun (14-under-par 274) by three strokes to secure her second career victory and the winner's prize of 180 million won.
Born in 2001 and turning pro in July 2020, Shin captured her maiden career win at this very event last year. With her successful title defense, she has now stood tall as the first player in the tournament's 15-year history to win back-to-back titles.
Last year, Shin left a deep impression on fans during the first playoff hole of this tournament when her tee shot bounced off the cart path's asphalt and kept rolling, recording an astonishing driving distance of 407.9 meters.
Entering the fourth round tied for the lead, Shin started with pars on the 1st and 2nd holes before unleashing a birdie show from the 3rd to the 7th holes, rattling off five consecutive birdies to pull ahead as the sole leader.
After landing her third shot right next to the pin on the par-5 3rd hole for her first birdie, Shin dropped a 0.5-meter birdie putt on the par-4 4th hole, followed by consecutive birdies on the par-3 5th, par-4 6th, and par-4 7th holes to complete five straight birdies.
After parring the par-4 8th hole, Shin faced her first crisis on the 9th hole (par 5), the last hole of the front nine.
Her tee shot pulled significantly to the left and vanished into the bushes, and even her third shot, attempted after taking a one-stroke penalty, headed toward the rough.
Struggling to reach the green on her fourth shot, Shin missed a 10-meter par putt to card her first bogey, narrowing her gap with the runner-up to just one stroke.
However, Shin displayed her exceptional crisis-management skills.
Regaining her confidence by sinking a tricky 4-meter birdie putt on the par-4 10th hole, Shin dropped a 4.1-meter birdie putt on the par-4 11th hole for back-to-back birdies, and then added another birdie on the par-4 15th hole, showcasing her peak putting touch.
Shin essentially sealed her victory by sinking a 7-meter birdie putt on the par-4 17th hole, and wrapped up the win by parring the final 18th hole.
"I want to thank my parents who are always by my side supporting me. I was very nervous when I stepped onto the course, but I overcame it with the fans' support," Shin said. "I faced a crisis on the 9th hole, but I managed to get through it well. I am so happy to become the first defending champion of this tournament."
Seo Gyo-rim, who was bidding for her fifth win of the season and three consecutive weekly victories, recorded a 3-under-par 69 with five birdies and one double bogey, finishing tied for 5th at 12-under-par 276 overall.
Meanwhile, amateur Yang Yoon-seo, who will compete in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finished the tournament tied for 20th at 8-under-par 280.
(Photo courtesy of KLPGA, Yonhap News)
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