‘Been Really Tough…’: LPGA Star Makes An Honest Confession About Her Mental Struggles

The LPGA Tour resumed with its first full-field event this weekend at the Drive On Championship. The increase in roster played a key role in the competition, as no player took an outright lead at the halfway mark of the event. Three players were tied for first place at the end of the second round, and among them was 30-year-old, Jenny Shin. The veteran golfer has seen her fair share of struggles over the years, but by her own admission, she is in a much better space now.

LPGA golfer reveals arduous mental struggles in the past

In her early days, Shin won the U.S. Girls’ Junior, which earmarked her for success in the future. She turned competitive in 2010 but has since managed only two professional victories. Her last win on the LPGA Tour came at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in 2016, where she won by two strokes.

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However, the Nevada resident has managed to turn the corner in her career. She secured three top-10 finishes last season and has made a strong start in the Drive On Championship. Shin posted a score of 7-under 65 in the first round, before shooting 67 in the following round.

In her own words, Shin battled mentally before changing her game to return to the top of the sport. “It’s been really tough to believe in myself in the past few years because I was going through a really bad slump and I had issues with takeaway, issues with the tee shot… I had a lot going on in the past,” she said in her post-round press conference.

Has the changing landscape of golf made things difficult for Shin?

The seasoned golfer has been around the ropes for more than a decade. But does the South Korean golfer believe that the game has changed over the years?

“I’ve been out here for 13 years and the game of golf has changed so much,” she said. “The girls hit it so long and so straight and the putts are going in. So it was very refreshing and very nice to know that I was able to keep myself up there and know that I can do it as well.”

Certainly, things have never looked better for women’s golf. This year’s tournament purses on the LPGA Tour are the highest ever in the game’s history. Television views have also gone up, which has resulted in renewed interest in the sport as a whole.

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