Youngest Player to Win Women’s British Open “Golf Queen” Shin Ji-Yai (Physical Education, sophomore) enthroned by the LPGA. On August 4, Shin Ji-Yai of the Yonsei golf team finished a perfect final round with six birdies and no bogies for a final score of 270, 18 under par, making her the winner of the 2008 Women’s British Open Cup held at the Sunningdale Golf Club (par 72, 6,408 yds) in Berkshire, UK. Her prize money is $314,000. After first going pro in November 2005, it took Shin less than three years to become world champion. Although Shin was able to rise to the top in a short career studded with many wins, her life has not been all sunshine and happiness. Shin first began golf in fifth grade with the encouragement of her father, and was soon winning amateur competitions and showing great promise. However, in November 2003, her third year of middle school, Shin experienced great troubles. Her mother passes away in an unexpected accident, and her sister and brother, aged 14 and 8 at the time, were badly hurt. To pay for their treatment, the family had to sell their house, and Shin lived at the hospital on a small cot for a year, caring for her younger siblings. When they were well enough to leave the hospital, the three siblings lived with their father in a single 150,000 won per month room. In the midst of such hardships, however, Shin continued to play golf. overcoming the Loss of Her Mother Through Strong Determination These hardships led Shin to become a determined young athlete. Shin beat out many famous players when she won her first cup in November 2005 at the KLPGA SK Enclean Invitational. In the face of the coming 2006 Asian Games, Shin had to make a difficult choice. The bread-winner for her family, Shin gave up the chance to attend the Asian Games and decided to immediately turn pro. Always aiming at nothing less than the top, Shin won three cups in 2006, including the Korean Women’s Open, the most prestigious cup in Korea. Winning titles for highest prize money total and nominated as the outstanding newcomer, Shin announced the coming of the “Shin Ji-Yai Era”. In 2007, Shin began rewriting the history of Korean women’s golf. With a new season record for most wins with nine wins, Shin also accumulated a total of over one billion won in the 33 games she played during two seasons, another Korean record. Having won every title in the league, including those of the lowest number of strokes and the best golfer, Shin finally debuted internationally and went on to win the Women’s British Open. A Leader in Helping Those in Need Shin is all the more remarkable because she always seems to remember the times when things were hard for her. She is remarkably generous with her prize money, donating liberally to various causes. Thanks to Shin’s outstanding performance, the Yonsei golf team has also become the center of attention. Many of the up and coming young golfers of Korea are Yonsei students or graduates, leading some to say that going to Yonsei is a requisite for becoming a top golfer. The Yonsei golf team has become the training school for top golfers and leaders in the world of golf.