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Untitled Document
Defending champion Shin leads world's best to Mizuno Classic
 SHIMA-SHI, Mie, Japan- The LPGA Tour stays in Asia this week for the 37th edition of the Mizuno Classic. The event will once again be played at the Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club's 6,506-yard course. Defending champion Jiyai Shin, the top rookie on Tour this season, will join 77 of the world's best professional golfers as they play for a share of the $1.4 million purse.
Last year, Shin, a South Korean, turned in three solid rounds to beat Japan's Mayu Hattori by six strokes for her second of three victories in 2008. Shin also won the major championship RICOH Women's British Open and the season-ending ADT Championship to become the first player to win three times as a non-member in LPGA Tour history. She also has three victories as a member this year.
This week, the 21-year-old is looking to successfully defend her title, which has only been done one other time this season. World number one Lorena Ochoa won the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco R.V. earlier this year for the second straight time. Should Shin win again this week in Shima-Shi, Mie, Japan, she would be just the fourth player to win back-to-back titles in the 37-year history of the Mizuno Classic. Others who have repeated include a pair of LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Famers, Betsy King (1992, 1993) and Annika Sorenstam (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005). Woo-Soon Ko won in 1994 and 1995, but both times as a non-member.
This week's talented field consists of 78 professionals, including 43 LPGA Tour players and 35 members of the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA). Of the 43 LPGA Tour members taking part in this year's Mizuno Classic, 11 are ranked in the latest Rolex Rankings' top-25. In addition to the top-2 players, Ochoa and Shin, respectively, Yani Tseng (sixth), Ai Miyazato (eighth), Karrie Webb (ninth) and In-Kyung Kim (tenth) are those who represent the top-10.
 The defending champion is also the leader on the LPGA Tour Official Money List, with more than $1.6 million in season earnings. The rest of the top-10 in the earnings category include Miyazato (second), Na Yeon Choi (fifth), Ochoa (sixth), Tseng (seventh) and Kim (eighth).
Choi, a native of South Korea, is coming off her second career LPGA Tour victory, and second of 2009, winning last week's Hana Bank • KOLON Championship 2009 on her home soil by one stroke over Taiwan's Tseng and Maria Hjorth of Sweden. The 22-year-old became a Rolex First-Time Winner earlier this year at the Samsung World Championship, and is now one of three players (Ochoa, 3; Shin, 3; Choi, 2) to have won at least twice in 2009.
Four LPGA Tour players will be playing on home soil this week, as Ai Miyazato, Mika Miyazato, Shiho Oyama and Momoko Ueda are Japan's representatives on Tour. Ai Miyazato became a Rolex First-Time Winner earlier this year at the Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale. Mika Miyazato, a 2009 rookie, has three top-10 finishes this year, including a career-best tie for fourth at the LPGA Corning Classic and Wegmans LPGA. Oyama is also in her first year as a member of the LPGA Tour, and turned in a career-best tie for sixth at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill. Finally, Ueda is in her second year as an official member, but recorded her first win as a non-member in 2007 at this week's tournament, the Mizuno Classic.
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