[비즈한국] Jiyai Shin has won the 59th Japan Women’s Open Golf Championship. After an intense playoff against Shiho Kuwaki, a star player currently dominating the JLPGA Tour, she lifted the trophy of this prestigious major national championship.
This victory is not just "one more win." With this triumph, Shin has reached 30 career victories on the JLPGA Tour, earning her permanent tour status. Furthermore, by completing the final piece of the puzzle among the four major tournaments, she has achieved a Career Grand Slam.
Shin is the seventh player in JLPGA history to earn permanent tour status, and she is the first to achieve a Career Grand Slam. While six players have recorded more wins than Shin, none of them have managed to sweep the four major tournaments. Before moving to the Japanese women's professional stage, Shin had already racked up 20 wins in the KLPGA (21 including amateur victories) and 11 wins on the U.S. LPGA Tour. Her win count in Korea ties her for first place with Ok-hee Ku and Min-ji Park, and her 11 LPGA wins—including two majors—rank her fifth behind Se-ri Pak, Inbee Park, Jin Young Ko, and Sei Young Kim. And now, she has 30 JLPGA wins.
Shin, who has accumulated 68 wins across global tours and earned over 25 billion won in prize money alone, said in her post-win interview, "This victory makes me feel that I can continue moving forward regardless of my age."
Even at the moment of achieving everything, Shin is someone who thinks about moving forward to achieve something more.
Shin won the Korea Women’s Open, Korea’s national title, in 2006 when she was 18. Twenty years later, 38-year-old Shin has won the Japan Women’s Open, Japan’s national title. There are players with more career victories than Shin, but no one has maintained such consistent performance over so many years like her.
Born in 1988, Shin is part of the so-called "Se-ri Kids," the golden generation of South Korean women's golf. This generation includes Inbee Park and Na Yeon Choi. Bo-mee Lee and Ha-neul Kim are also from this generation. While Seon-Ju Ahn and Ji-eun Jung (5) are still active, Shin is the only one who continues to perform at a prime level.
Who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) among South Korean female golfers? Se-ri Pak pioneered the new continent of the LPGA. Her achievements led to the "Se-ri Kids" generation and made South Korea a powerhouse in women's golf. She recorded 25 LPGA wins, the most by any South Korean player in history. Inbee Park flourished on the new continent opened by Se-ri Pak, harvesting the fruits of 21 victories from that fertile land.
Among her 21 wins, 7 were majors, and her Career Grand Slam is a record that no other player has achieved. Personally, I believe Shin belongs in this rank. While some may undervalue Shin, citing that she has fewer LPGA wins compared to Se-ri Pak or Inbee Park, the number of 68 wins across global tours is not a figure that should be overlooked.
Last year, Shin received an 'Honorary Award' at the JLPGA Awards. It was for surpassing the all-time prize money record of the Japanese women's tour, held by legend Yuri Fudoh. In the film industry and sports awards, the honorary award is usually given to retired legends or individuals who have made significant contributions to the industry, such as directors, casters, or commentators. Despite receiving an honorary award, Shin sharpened her resolve for the 2026 season. It is said that she practiced 16 hours a day during the off-season. And, as if to prove a point, she became the winner of the most prestigious Japan Women’s Open.
There is a saying that in golf, "the one who plays the longest eventually wins." It seems like Shin won't just win because she’s played for a long time—she will continue to be great for a long time. Somehow, I feel that a 40-year-old Shin and even a 45-year-old Shin will still be intimidating competitors.
Since 2006, Shin has been in her prime for 21 years. Perhaps she even thinks to herself, "I'm only in my 21st year." What makes Shin great is that her remarkable achievements have not stopped; just when they seem like they might, she starts again, and they continue to pile up. No player deserves the title of "eternally active" more than Shin. In Shin’s dictionary, there is no such word as "impossible," and there is no "retirement." Shin is a work in progress, and she is still even a future-tense phenomenon.