The reaction said it all. Jiyai Shin dropped her putter, arched her back and covered her face with her hands in a moment of sweet relief. A playoff victory at the Japan Women's Open made her the first player in JLPGA history to win all four majors.
A 30th tour victory on the JLPGA also gives her a lifetime exemption on that tour. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, she's the seventh player to earn the exemption. Shin defeated Japan's current top player, Shiho Kuwaki, with a birdie on the third playoff hole in rainy conditions.
"I kept you waiting," Shin posted on Instagram. "I finally did it. Thank you."
Shin's dominance as a player goes all the way back to 2007, when she played in 19 events on the KLPGA and won 10 of them. The next year, she won her
first major, the Women's British Open by three strokes over Yani Tseng to earn LPGA status. Shin won 11 times on the LPGA, including a second British Open, and rose to No. 1 in the world before opting to move closer to home to compete on the JLPGA.
Shin won her first major on the JLPGA in 2015 and now owns six on that tour. She has twice won the Korea Women's Open and is a 21-time winner on the KLPGA. With nearly 70 titles worldwide, Shin still competes in several LPGA majors each season and contends.
She took a share of second at the 2023 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach and posted top-3 finishes at the Women's British in 2023 (3rd) and 2024 (T-2).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Former LPGA No. 1 becomes first to complete career grand slam in Japan
