Jiyai Shin once explained why she walked away from the LPGA Tour in 2013 - "I lost the hunger"

Jiyai Shin is currently tied for fourth place with Alison Lee at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship. She scored an impressive 8-under 63 on the third day, propelling her to the joint fourth position and vying for another Tour victory.

Shin has achieved several honors to date in her career and has garnered accolades in every tour in which she participated. However, after playing a full season in 2013 on the LPGA Tour, Shin gave up her LPGA Tour card, opting to compete exclusively on the Japan Tour.

Her decision was reportedly motivated by a desire to stay closer to her family, particularly her father. For the uninitiated, competing on the Japan Tour requires players to travel less when compared to competing on the LPGA Tour.

Shin also acknowledged that she was fortunate enough to achieve early success in her career, including 21 wins on the KPMG Tour, 11 wins on the LPGA Tour, and being in the number 1 position on women's world golf rankings for a total of 25 weeks.

Following this rise to the top, Shin stated in 2013 that she felt she had lost the passion and hunger to continue playing on the tour. Jiyai Shin said (via LPGA.com):

"It was so exciting (getting to No.1 in the world), and I was so happy. But I think that time came to me a little bit early. It felt like I lost my passion, because I already made all my goals, and I didn’t set another target or goal. I was enjoying it, but I lost the hunger.”

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A closer look into Jiyai Shin’s professional journey

Jiyai Shin embarked on her professional career on the KLPGA Tour, achieving remarkable success early on. In 2006, she clinched victories in three events, and her momentum continued into 2007 where she dominated by winning 10 tournaments on the tour.

To date, the talented golfer boasts 21 wins on the KLPGA Tour and 11 victories on the LPGA Tour. Shin also won two Majors, the 2008 Women’s British Open and the 2012 Women’s British Open.

Lately, she has been relatively inactive in the sport. The last time she completed a full LPGA Tour season was in 2013 when she also clinched the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open by a two-stroke margin.

However, Jiyai Shin achieved some of her best finishes last year in 2023. Out of five tournaments she played on the LPGA Tour, she had four top-5 finishes, including a T2 at the U.S. Women's Open alongside Charley Hull.

Shin has only participated in one tournament in the 2024 season so far. Earlier this month, she finished with a T41 spot at the HSBC Women’s World Championship alongside eight other golfers. The Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship is her second event of the year, and she's currently in a tie for fourth.