Shin outlasts Stanford, Yoo for LPGA playoff win

ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — Jiyai Shin arrived at the course around 5:30 a.m., then began her final round a couple hours later in one of the first groups to tee off.

A championship was the furthest thing from her mind.

“I wanted to just make under par,” Shin said.

Shin accomplished that modest goal and a whole lot more Sunday, rallying from a seven-stroke deficit to win the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship. Shin shot a 7-under 64 and outlasted Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo in a sudden-death playoff at Pinnacle Country Club.

Shin, an LPGA Tour rookie from South Korea, now has three wins on tour this year, the most of any player.

“I’m lucky this year,” she said. “I’m just focused on the rookie of the year, but now I still have a chance for the player of the year.”

Nancy Lopez was the last player to win both in 1978.

Shin is called the “Final-Round Queen” in South Korea. In March, she trailed by four strokes with nine holes to play before winning the HSBC Women’s Champions.

On No. 15, the second hole of the playoff, she made a 12-foot birdie putt to win after Stanford had missed a longer putt along a similar line.

“Angela’s ball broke left to the right,” Shin said. “I trusted Angela’s putt.”

Shin posted her final-round score around 12:30 p.m. and had to wait about two hours for everyone else to finish. She finished at 9-under 204 for the 54-hole event on the 6,244-yard course.

About an hour after Shin finished her round, Shi Hyun Ahn reached the green in two shots on the par-5 18th. Ahn (66) three-putted to finish at 8 under.

Meanwhile, Stanford and second-round leader Song-Hee Kim were plodding along. For the third straight year, rain was a factor at this event, although it was fairly light Sunday and play wasn’t delayed.

“I thought for sure somebody would make it to 10 [under],” Stanford said.

Instead, Stanford (69) needed a couple dramatic shots just to reach the playoff.