Wegmans LPGA
Locust Hill Country Club
Pittsford, N.Y.
June 28, 2009

Final-round interviews: Jiyai Shin | Stacy Lewis

Final-round notes

Rookie Shin wins 2009 Wegmans LPGA
Twenty-one-year-old crosses $1 million mark in career earnings

PITTSFORD, N.Y., June 28, 2009 - Jiyai Shin is the champion once again, this time at the 33rd Wegmans LPGA event at Locust Hill Country Club. The 2009 LPGA Tour rookie turned in a 1-under-par 71 score in the final round, which was enough to take the win with an overall mark of 17-under-par 271 (65-68-67-71), seven strokes ahead of Kristy McPherson (67-69-76-66=278) and Yani Tseng (73-69-70-66=278), who both finished at 10-under-par. The seven-stroke margin of victory is the largest of the year.

"I am happy. The first hole, I made a birdie," said Shin. "That birdie changed my feeling, confidence, so I enjoyed it. Today was a good day, a lot of rain. I think rain helped me because it gave me chance, but yes, I think it was good for me."

In a week that was plagued by rainy skies and inclement weather delays, Shin stayed tough and determined throughout, which turned out to be enough for her second official victory of her rookie year, and a nice $300,000 first-place paycheck. The payout also pushes Shin across the $1 million mark in career earnings, and she takes over the top spot on Official Money List as well. If you ask Shin what she thinks about taking over first place on the money list, or what her goals are for this year, she has her answer down pat.

"Still my goal is Rookie of the Year. Yes, I am number one on the Money List now, but I have a lot of tournaments yet," she explained. "My goal is still Rookie of the Year."

Back in the opening round on Thursday, Shin put together an impressive bogey-free 7-under-par 65, which put her one stroke off the day-one leader, Sandra Gal. Then on Friday, in between two different severe weather delays, the rookie took over the top spot of the leaderboard after turning in a 4-under-par 68, giving her a two-day total of 11-under-par 133. That score also set a new 36-hole tournament record, and gave her a one-stroke advantage heading into the weekend. With a firm grasp of the top of the scoreboard, the South Korean star never looked back. Once Saturday's third round got underway after a delayed start due to weather delays, Shin was unfazed as she recorded six birdies on one bogey, to give her a three-day total of 16-under-par 200, and what proved to be a comfortable four-stroke lead heading in the final day.

When asked about her recent practice routine and this week's course conditions, it was all about the putting.

"This course has a lot of trees, so important to save the fairway," said Shin. "This week I hit very good with my driver. And then my putting was good too. On Tuesday practice day, I practiced putting for maybe four, five hours. It worked this week for me."

Shin has now won five LPGA Tour tournaments, with two of them coming this year as official victories. A year ago as a non-member, Shin won three times, including the major championship RICOH Women's British Open, Mizuno Classic, and the season-ending ADT Championship, where she took home the $1 millon first-place prize.

McPherson, Tseng share runner-up finish at Wegmans LPGA. Three-year LPGA Tour player Kristy McPherson (67-69-76-66=278) and 2008 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Yani Tseng (73-69-70-66=278) turned in identical 6-under-par 66 scores in the final round of the Wegmans LPGA to finish at 10-under-par. McPherson could have turned in the shot of the day on the back nine, as she used a pitching wedge from 125 yards out to record an eagle on the par-4, 361-yard 12th hole. The 2003 University of South Carolina graduate has now finished in the top-5 three times this season, including the runner-up finish this week, tied for fifth at the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola, and runner-up at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Tseng, a 20-year-old player out of Taiwan, joined McPherson in the runner-up spot on the final leaderboard in Pittsford, N.Y., and this was her best finish since winning the LPGA Corning Classic a few weeks ago. In addition to this week's runner-up and her one win, Tseng has finished in the top-5 four other times this year, including the Corona Championship (T5), J Golf Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirrasou Winery (T4), MasterCard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralto (T2), and the SBS Open at Turtle Bay (T5).

First-year players dominate top-10 on final leaderboard. This week's final leaderboard at the Wegmans LPGA, six 2009 LPGA Tour rookies finished in the top-10. Not to mention the champion, Jiyai Shin (65-68-67-71=271, -17), Haeji Kang (68-75-65-71=279, -9), Stacy Lewis (68-67-70-74=279, -9) and Mika Miyazato (69-72-67-71=279, -9) all finished tied for fourth place, seven strokes back from Shin. Michelle Wie (69-68-75-75-69=281, -7) and Mindy Kim (69-68-71-73=281, -7) finished in a five-way tie for 10th.

Pair of South Korean players cross money milestones at Wegmans LPGA. The winner of the Wegmans LPGA, rookie Jiyai Shin, and three-year LPGA Tour member In-Kyung Kim both achieved milestones this week. With Shin's win and the $300,000 first-place prize that came along with it, moves across the $1 million mark in career earnings. Her grand total is now $1,001,139. In-Kyung Kim, who, like Shin, is a two-time LPGA Tour winner, crossed the $2 million mark in career earnings, and now has $2,002,333 to her credit.

McPherson improves Solheim Cup standing. With her tie for second at the Wegmans LPGA, Kristy McPherson earned 30 points and jumped from seventh to sixth place in the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team points standings. McPherson overcame a 4-over-par 76 in the third round to finish tied with Yani Tseng at 10-under-par 278, seven shots behind champion Jiyai Shin. McPherson is in the running for her first-ever Solheim Cup, which will be hosted this year at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. Paula Creamer continues to lead the points race despite withdrawing this week from the Wegmans LPGA.

WD. Charlotte Mayorkas and Paula Creamer withdrew after the first round of the Wegmans LPGA. Becky Lucidi was disqualified prior to the third round due to missed tee time.

Final-round interviews: Jiyai Shin | Stacy Lewis

Jiyai Shin, 65-68-67-71=271, -17
Hole 1, 386-yard par 4: birdie, 9-iron to nine feet
Hole 7, 178-yard par 3: bogey, driver into rough, two-putt to two feet
Hole 8, 466-yard par 6: birdie, 9-iron to six feet
Hole 10, 383-yard par 4: birdie, 6-iron to 12 feet
Hole 13, 386-yard par 4: bogey, missed fairway with 7-iron, two-putt
Hole 14, 381-yard par 4: bogey, missed second shot, chipped up to five feet, two-putt
Hole 17, 468-yard par 6: birdie, 9-iron to nine feet

JASON TAYLOR: Jiyai, congratulations on winning the Wegmans LPGA. You are now a two-time official winner on the LPGA Tour. How was your final round today?
JIYAI SHIN: Hello everyone, thank you for coming. Well, this morning my feeling is nervous because I have a chance for win. Just like my muscles were tight. Hole No. 1, the first hole, I made a birdie. That birdie changed my feeling, confidence and confidence back, so I enjoyed it. And then today it was good today, a lot of rain. I think rain helped me because the chance for the heart but, yes, I think good for me, the rain.

Q. Just tell us how difficult it really was the last nine holes you were up by a pretty good margin, how tough was it to play in those kind of conditions?
JIYAI SHIN: Actually very hard to focus on, very hard because a lot of rain, my body and my club so wet. So I tried no mistake. The fairway is so soft on the back nine, so my driver carries only 210, so very hard. It feels like a different course. But number 17 I made a birdie, it was good for me.

Q. I noticed you weren't wearing a rain jacket out there even at the hardest rain at that time, was there a reason for that?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes, I need a rain jacket, but my rain jacket doesn't have my sponsor. So I have to open and close rain jacket.

JASON TAYLOR: Keep the sponsors happy?
JIYAI SHIN: Yes.

Q. This win putts you number one on the Official Money List now, and you went over a million for the year, so you just said you thought you would win one tournament and get Rookie of the Year. Is this making you maybe set your goals maybe a little higher for the year now, maybe Player of the Year is a possibility now?
JIYAI SHIN: Still my goal is Rookie of the Year, yes. Yes, I am now number on the Money List, but I have a lot of tournaments yet. I try, my goal is just Rookie of the Year.

Stacy Lewis, 68-67-70-74=279, -9

JASON TAYLOR: Stacy, thanks for coming in. Kind of an interesting day, the first half seemed to be fine weatherwise, conditionwise, and then all of a sudden the sky kind of opened up with this rain for the finish. But nonetheless, you finished at 9under par, which is a new career-best finish for you. So if you would just kind of talk about how the day went for you.
STACY LEWIS: Well, I'm really frustrated with the finish. I know the conditions were hard, but just frustrated with the way I finished. I mean, I got things going there, the chipin on eight, then made a good birdie on 13. Even when it was raining I got to 13under. I was in a pretty good place and then, you know, I just started to hit some bad golf shots and missed a couple of putts. It just made it really hard on myself. I didn't give myself that many good looks at birdies. I mean the conditions definitely made it harder though.

Q. When you get in a situation where you're not hitting your shots, how do adjust and try to recuperate from it?
STACY LEWIS: I don't know. One, it was hard to judge what the ball was going to do. Your clubs are wet, the ball is wet, the ground is wet. There is a little bit of guess in there, just try to hit the best golf shot you can. I hit two great shots into the last hole and then I'm fortunate just to make bogey. You just try to adjust as best as you can.

Q. When you get here today what's the mindset, catching her is possible, not possible, somebody coming way back to you?
STACY LEWIS: I heard it was going to rain so I kind of thought that would actually help us, just the conditions would be hard, and so it would allow a great round to move up quite a bit. And so I just went out and tried to make as many birdies as I could and move up the leaderboard. At 13under through 12, I thought I was in a really good place and then I just didn't really hit the shots I wanted to after that.

Q. Realistically, when you started the day you knew you were 5 behind her, and she was playing so good, was it tough to even get going today knowing it would be a long tall mountain to begin with before the rain even started?
STACY LEWIS: No, I don't know going into it. I knew the conditions were going to get hard. Actually I wanted that. I told my caddy, when the condition gets hard we have to get better and go out there and make some birdies when every one else is struggling to make pars and that was kind of the mind set. It started to rain and I a couple of good pars. I made a good birdie on 12. I was doing what I wanted to do and then I think I missed a short putt on 14, and I think that just kind of threw me off. I mean, I think with the conditions like this, was she catchable? For sure. But she played great, you can't take that away in her.

Q. Disappointing the way it came to an end with the rain, you haven't played here before, typically big crowds on Sunday, was it disappointing for you? It was like a ghost town by the end of it probably?
STACY LEWIS: Yes, it was unfortunate just the way the tee times fell and the way it worked out. The weather was great earlier in the day. The crowds were great and it was building to be a really good finish and the weather just kind of pulled people away. I've never been here, but from what I saw yesterday, the crowds were awesome and it would have been probably twice as good today. Just more important for the fans I think than for anybody.