We've seen a lot of good golf from Jenny Shin this season on the LPGA Tour and her third round at this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was no different. The 30-year-old tied the low round of the week on Moving Day at Baltusrol Golf Club, firing a bogey-free, 5-under 66 on the Lower Course that saw her birdie one par 5, two par 4s and two par 3s, including the notoriously challenging 16th hole. Shin currently sits in solo second at 6-under – one shot back of leader Leona Maguire – marking the 34th time in her LPGA Tour career that she’s been within five of the lead entering the final round, most recently doing so at the ShopRite LPGA Classic earlier this season where she finished in a tie for sixth. That week in Galloway, N.J. did wonders for the Republic of Korea native’s momentum and Shin admits that that top-10 result in particular really bolstered her confidence ahead of the second major of the year.
“It was great. It wasn't even a B-game, and I finished sixth. Sure, I was disappointed that I didn't finish in the top 5, but I was, like, hey, considering it was a B game, I still finished in the top 10. I can probably do better,” said Shin, who recorded scores of 65-70-69 at Seaview, a Dolce Hotel’s Bay Course. “I think there's progress. I've put myself in contention a lot more times this year than the past five, six years. I saw my name on the leaderboard quite a few times coming down the stretch (today). It's only June, so we'll see where I am in November.”
It's been rough in recent years for the LPGA Tour veteran, and she’s been open about struggling with her love for the game. Many players measure their self-worth against the scores they shoot on the golf course and Shin says that for a while, she wasn’t sure of her purpose as she was grinding week in and week out on Tour. But now, she has a vision and is applying all of her past experiences to her new end goals, something that seems to be paying off so far this week in Springfield, N.J.
“I'm not sure if I'm mature, but I definitely have a lot of experience. I've done a lot. I've seen a lot compared to some of the girls out here who are 21 and been out here for three years. I've just seen so much that I have different perspective to things,” Shin explained. “I think I grew up playing golf for my parents. My Korean parents were really strict with me, and I didn't roll into this game wanting to be No. 1 in the world. I was just happy being out here.
“So I kind of lost where I want to be, what my goal is. A few years back I just asked myself where do I want to be it in five years, and what do I want to accomplish? How do I want to end this career? I think that's where it really started rolling. And COVID helped a lot. I was not playing golf for eight months. That was really devastating for me. So, yeah, hated COVID, but loved COVID.”
Shin is in her 13th season on the LPGA Tour and has one victory that came at the 2016 Ascending LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America and 37 additional career top-10 finishes. In addition to her tie for sixth at ShopRite, she has recorded two additional top 20s this season, a 17th place finish at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards and a tie for 17th at the Mizuho Americas Open. In major championships, Shin has only managed to find the top 10 twice, at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2017 AIG Women’s Open, and as she looks forward to the opportunity to contend for her first major title on Sunday at Baltusrol’s Lower Course, Shin will do whatever it takes to end up with the trophy in hand, realizing one of those goals she set for herself a few years ago.
“There was a period of time where I was happy not winning. I was happy with playing decent golf. This is my 13th year out here. I'm sure if you ask any player that's been out here this long, there's ups and downs and phases in life, and I think I went through that phase. So now, I want to win more than anything,” Shin said. “It's only Saturday, but you're right. It feels great to be where I am and just knowing that I can be here is a massive improvement.
“It freed me up mentally a little bit. It was like any other day today. I wasn't as nervous. I wasn't as uptight. I wasn't desperate to leave the golf course. It's nice being where I am, regardless of what happens tomorrow."
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