Shin Ji-ae, runner-up at Australian Big Open by 1 stroke 2nd consecutive loss

Yoon Ina returns with determination to keep moving forward aiming for Olympic ticket, tied for 11th place at 2 under par

Ji-ae Shin (36, photo) finished second in the Big Open of the Women's Professional Golf Australia (WPGA) Tour, her first tournament of the year. She missed her second straight victory in the event by one stroke.

In the final 4th round of the tournament held at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links Beach Course (par 72) in Barwon Heads, Victoria, Australia on the 4th, Ji-ae Shin reduced 3 strokes with 4 birdies and 1 bogey, recording a final total of 11 under par 278 strokes. She dropped 6 strokes on the day and finished runner-up, one stroke behind Malaysia's Ashley Lau (12 under par, 277 strokes). Shin Ji-ae was the winner of this competition last year. Players participating in this tournament played one day of the first and second rounds at the Creek Course (par 73).

Shin Ji-ae tied for the lead by reducing her score by 4 strokes, including succeeding in an eagle with a 153m distance shot in the 16th hole (par 4) of the 3rd round the previous day. Shin Ji-ae, who had fallen from the lead in the first half of the day, rose to a tie for the lead again by winning birdies on the 11th (par 5) and 15th (par 4) holes, but she was unable to reduce her number of strokes in the remaining 16th to 18th holes. Lau, who was playing in the group ahead of her, succeeded in birdieing the 18th hole (par 5), while Shin Ji-ae's birdie putt went around the hole cup. Ji-ae Shin, who was attempting to become the first woman to win two consecutive titles in the competition's history, said, "I think it was a huge burden for her to say to herself, 'Make new history,'" she said. This competition, launched in 1988, was suspended after the 1992 competition and resumed in 2012.

Shin Ji-ae, who is currently ranked 15th in the women's golf world rankings, is expected to enter as many competitions as possible to accumulate the ranking points needed to participate in the Olympics. With Japan as her main stage, Ji-ae Shin will compete at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the European Women's Professional Golf Tour (LET) this month and the Perhills Seribak Championship on the American Women's Professional Golf Tour (LPGA) Tour in March.

Yoon Ina (21), who was in her first real game after her suspension was lifted, tied for 11th place with a final total of 2 under par, 287 strokes. Yoon Ina, who had been suspended for three years from the Korea Golf Association and the Korea Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour for playing a wrong ball during the Korea Women's Open match in June 2022, later had her punishment reduced to one year and six months.  섯다