Ji-Yai Shin Wins Women's British Open

Who is Ji-Yai Shin? She's the 2008 champion of the Women's British Open. And if you don't yet know much about her, hold on: Her win today gains her automatic membership on the LPGA Tour, and assuming she begins playing full-time on the LPGA in 2009, you'll start to hear quite a bit about her. Because she's a good bet to become a major force.

Shin fired a final-round 66 on Sunday at Sunningdale Golf Club to zoom past third-round leader Yuri Fudoh and claim the Women's British Open title:

Final Leaders
Ji-Yai Shin, 270
Yani Tseng, 273
Eun-Hee Ji, 274
Yuri Fudoh, 274
Ai Miyazato, 275
Cristie Kerr, 276
Lorena Ochoa, 277
Momoko Ueda, 277

Shin is a 20-year-old Korean who has been dominant on the Korean LPGA Tour (KLPGA) the past two seasons. In 2007, Shin won 10 of 19 KLPGA events she played. This year, she has four wins so far on the KLPGA, plus one victory on the LPGA of Japan.

Shin has also made an impression in a limited number of LPGA appearances thus far. In 2007 she placed third at the Evian Masters and sixth at the U.S. Women's Open. She has played in six LPGA Tour events thus far in 2008, including the Women's British, and has two Top 10s in addition to her victory at the major.

Shin has been ranked inside the Top 10 of the world rankings throughout 2008.

See also:

• Women's British Open winners
• Women's British Open tourney profile
• Photo gallery: Sunningdale Golf Club