"Earned a whopping 13 billion won in Japan alone" The prestige of Korea's 'Final Queen'... Shin Ji-ae, who set a new record: "I will not be satisfied here"

*This content was translated by AI.

This is the prestige of the 'Final Queen.' Shin Ji-ae (38), who holds the all-time top prize money ranking on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, achieved a fourth major title and secured a permanent tour card along with her 30th career victory.

The Japanese golf-specialized media outlet 'Albatnet' focused on Shin's rapid rise while reporting on the latest JLPGA Tour prize money rankings released on the 5th.

The outlet reported, "Shin Ji-ae, who defeated Kuwaki Shiho in a nerve-wracking playoff to secure a permanent tour card and achieve her 30th career victory and fourth domestic major title, won the first-place prize of 30 million yen (approximately 250 million won)." With this victory, Shin increased her season cumulative prize money to 79,378,451 yen (approximately 700 million won), jumping from 16th place straight up to 8th in the rankings.

According to the outlet, Kuwaki, who narrowly finished as runner-up, added 16.5 million yen to reach a cumulative total of 139.08 million yen, placing third in the prize money rankings. The top spot was held by Kan Hiuuka with 143.45 million yen, followed by Sakuma Shuri (139.54 million yen) in second place.

On the same day, 'Sports Hochi' expressed amazement that Shin Ji-ae's career total prize money on the JLPGA Tour surpassed 1.53 billion yen (approximately 13 billion won) with her 30 million yen first-place prize from this tournament, further solidifying her record as the all-time leader.

According to the Japanese media outlet 'Golf Network,' Shin Ji-ae stated in an interview, "I felt I was getting closer to winning after finishing as runner-up three times at the Japan Ladies Open, but the threshold was high every time." She added, "It is truly wonderful to finally stand on top. I did not understand what it meant to be so happy that tears would flow until now, but I have finally come to know that feeling."

Regarding the moment of her final birdie putt in the third playoff round, which was the decisive point of the match, she said, "I considered this my last chance and kept repeating 'It goes in, I make it' as I took my stroke." She praised her opponent by adding, "Kuwaki was so strong that I knew I could not win without a birdie. It was wonderful to compete against Kuwaki, who put up a great fight with excellent play."

Her experience shining through in the bad weather was also mentioned. Shin Ji-ae said, "This was a tournament I really wanted to win. The more difficult the course setup, the more absolute course management becomes, and I thought these conditions would work in my favor." She explained, "The rain was heavier than forecast, but given the numerous experiences I have accumulated over the years, I believed that bad weather would actually be an advantage for me."

She also revealed the mental strain she had endured since her 29th career victory. Shin Ji-ae said, "As opportunities to win gradually decreased and I wanted to win quickly, I did not have much peace of mind." She vowed, "I did not know that the path to filling in my final victory would be this long. However, rather than being satisfied here, I must think about what comes next."

Having secured a permanent tour card, Shin Ji-ae stated, "I see it as proof that my golf is still effective. Since I have obtained a permanent tour card and can continue to play golf going forward, I want to show fans good play." She added her determination by saying, "I also want to show a wonderful image to the juniors, and I will move forward with the feeling of standing at a new starting line."

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*This content was translated by AI.