64x pro winner Jiyai Shin shares why she left the LPGA Tour to go back to Japan a decade ago- "Couldn't find any next step"
Jiyai Shin said that she left the LPGA Tour because she couldn't get any motivation after achieving her goals. She added that this was the reason she chose to return to Japan and live close to her family.
Shin is just one good round away from winning the AIG Women's Open for the third time. She carded 5-under 67 on Saturday, August 24 to aggregate at 7-under and take a one-shot lead after 54 holes.
During the post-round interview, Jiyai Shin shed light on her decision to quit the LPGA Tour.
"My rookie year was 2009, and then I have many goals for the ten years' goal, I have a plan," she said. "But after three, four years, I finish everything. So I couldn't find any next step."
That's why I just want to play good, but it I couldn't get any motivation by myself. That's why (I said), 'Okay, I need to change. I need a change.' So that's why I moved to, close to the family so that's why I moved to Japan and this is my 11th year in Japan tours."
She added that although she worried about losing a few fans, she met even more while playing on the JLPGA.
Notably, Jiyai Shin has won 64 titles in her professional career, with 30 of them coming on the Japan Tour. Additionally, she has won eleven times on the LPGA Tour, including two AIG Women's Open victories.
When will Jiyai Shin tee off at the AIG Women's Open, Round 4?
Jiyai Shin is paired with Lilia Vu for the final AIG Women's Open. The duo will tee off on Sunday, August 25 at 2:15 pm local.
Here are the tee time details for the AIG Women's Open, Round 4 (all times local):
- 7:10 am: In Kyung Kim, Momoko Osato
- 7:20 am: Lily May Humphreys, Manon De Roey
- 7:30 am: Wichanee Meechai, Paula Reto
- 7:40 am: Johanna Gustavsson, Emma Spitz
- 7:50 am: Haruka Kawasaki, Emma Grechi
- 8:00 am: Ayaka Furue, Grace Kim
- 8:10 am: Morgane Metraux, Shannon Tan
- 8:20 am: Julia Lopez Ramirez (a), Minami Katsu
- 8:30 am: Lee-Anne Pace, Weiwei Zhang
- 8:45 am: Gabriella Cowley, Anne van Dam
- 8:55 am: Arpichaya Yubol, Narin An
- 9:05 am: Ela Anacona (a), Xiyu Lin
- 9:15 am: Bailey Tardy, Ashleigh Buhai
- 9:25 am: Louise Rydqvist (a), Georgia Hall
- 9:35 am: Shuri Sakuma, Maja Stark
- 9:45 am: Sarah Schmelzel, Nicole Broch Estrup
- 9:55 am: Marta Martin, Haeran Ryu
- 10:10 am: Nasa Hataoka, Hye-Jin Choi
- 10:20 am: Ursula Wikstrom, Alexandra Forsterling
- 10:30 am: Sei Young Kim, Kristen Gillman
- 10:40 am: Ally Ewing, Mi Hyang Lee
- 10:50 am: Linnea Strom, Caroline Inglis
- 11:00 am: Nuria Iturrioz, Yui Kawamoto
- 11:15 am: Lexi Thompson, Carlota Ciganda
- 11:25 am: Auston Kim, Peiyun Chien
- 11:35 am: Andrea Lee, Akie Iwai
- 11:45 am: Celine Boutier, Amy Yang
- 11:55 am: Rose Zhang, Angel Yin
- 12:05 pm: Steph Kyriacou, Alison Lee
- 12:20 pm: Leona Maguire, Nanna Koerstz Madsen
- 12:30 pm: So Mi Lee, Gaby Lopez
- 12:40 pm: Pajaree Anannarukarn, Linn Grant
- 12:50 pm: Patty Tavatanakit, Hyo Joo Kim
- 1:00 pm: Ariya Jutanugarn, Charley Hull
- 1:10 pm: Casandra Alexander, Mao Saigo
- 1:25 pm: Lottie Woad (a), Albane Valenzuela
- 1:35 pm: Esther Henseleit, Ruoning Yin
- 1:45 pm: Jin Hee Im, Jeeno Thitikul
- 1:55 pm: Alexa Pano, Lydia Ko
- 2:05 pm: Jenny Shin, Nelly Korda
- 2:15 pm: Lilia Vu, Jiyai Shin