Shin Ji-yai ties for fourth at Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship

Golf

Published: 25 Mar. 2024, 15:04 Updated: 25 Mar. 2024, 17:46

Shin Ji-yai ties for fourth at Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship

Shin Ji-yai hits from the fourth tee during the final round of the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in Palos Verdes Estates, California on Sunday. [AP/YONHAP]

Shin Ji-yai tied for fifth at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at the Palos Verdes Golf Cup in California on Sunday with a seven-under-par, 277.

At the LPGA tournament held under the name of Korean golf legend and LPGA Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri, Shin managed the best finish by any Korean.

After finishing the third round bogey-free with eight birdies, Shin slipped in the final round with two bogeys on the first two holes. She made two birdies on the third and seventh holes, but a double bogey on the 12th pulled her out of the title race.

Nelly Korda, who carded a nine-under-par, 275, won the tournament after a playoff with Ryann O’Toole, claiming her first title on the Tour since the LPGA Drive On Championship in January and becoming the first American golfer to win the tournament in any form.

The Seri Pak Championship first started as the Hugel-JTBC LA Open in 2018 and later changed to the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open and DIO Implant LA Open. All six winners have been from different countries.

No Korean golfer has won the tournament.

Pak Se-ri, who competed on the Tour from 1998 to 2016, winning 25 titles, was on site to watch the action and handed Korda the trophy.

Nelly Korda, right, poses with LPGA Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri after winning the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, California on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

This year was the first time an LPGA event had used the Hall of Famer’s name. It was also the first LPGA tournament under a Korean golfer’s name.

Jenny Shin, meanwhile, tied for 10th with a five-under-par, 279, managing the second-best finish by any Korean, followed by Kim Hyo-joo and Lee Mi-hyang, who both tied for 18th.

The LPGA will continue this week, with the Ford Championship teeing off in Arizona on Thursday.

The 2023 LPGA Tour saw a total of four Korean winners, but no Korean has won a title on the Tour this season yet.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]