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This photo shows Jenny Shin of South Korea reacting to her par putt on the seventh green during the final round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, on Sunday. (Yonhap) |
Unable to make key putts in the final round, South Korean Jenny Shin has finished tied for eighth at the second major tournament of the 2023 LPGA season.
Shin shot a one-over 72 in the weather-interrupted final round at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, on Sunday and ended at five-under 279 for the four-round event.
Yin Ruoning of China grabbed her maiden major title at eight-under 276. She carded a bogey-free 67 in the final round to hold off Yuka Saso of Japan by one.
Shin began the final round at six-under, one shot off the lead held by Leona Maguire of Ireland. Shin, 30, was trying to win her first LPGA title since May 2016 and her first-ever major crown.
Instead, Shin settled for her third career top-10 showing at a major.
Shin pulled into a tie for the lead with Maguire at seven-under by birdieing the first hole. That, however, ended up being Shin's only birdie of the final round.
When play was suspended at 1:02 p.m. due to a thunderstorm, Shin, who had completed seven holes, and Lin Xiyu of China, who had played 10 holes, were tied at the top at seven-under.
Four others were at six-under, a group that included Maguire following her bogey at the sixth.
Things changed quickly after the restart, just before 3 p.m.
Before the weather delay, Shin had left her second shot on the eighth hole short of the green. When play resumed, she missed a lengthy par putt after a mediocre chip, dropping one back of Lin at six-under.
American rookie sensation Rose Zhang birdied the 11th to join Shin and two others at six-under.
Shin failed to give herself birdie opportunities down the stretch, either missing the green or putting her approach shots far away from the holes.
A string of six straight pars for Shin ended with a bogey on the 15th, where she found the left rough off the tee and needed three shots to reach the putting surface.
She parred the 16th from the middle of the green and couldn't drain her birdie attempt from a relatively close range on the 17th.
With the tournament already decided by this point, Shin stood over a makeable birdie putt but just missed the hole.
Shin was the lone South Korean in the top 10.
Kim Hyo-joo posted a 67 to finish at one-under 283, tying her for 20th. Joining Kim was world No. 1 Ko Jin-young, who carded a 73 on Sunday.
Ko entered the tournament having spent 158 weeks in total at the top of the world rankings, matching the record first set by Lorena Ochoa, and will break the mark in the new week.
Three players ranked below Ko -- Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu -- all had a shot at overtaking the top spot. But Korda and Vu both missed the cut, while Lydia Ko tied for 57th at six-over. (Yonhap)
