“Not how I envisioned things to turn out…” You can sense quite a bit of disappointment emanating from that one sentence. Sadly, that is how Jenny Shin felt just after the Toto Japan Classic. The reason? A dismal T61 finish at the LPGA Tour event. But she didn’t give up, for the golfer decided to take some time off and tee it up in her best condition at the CME Group Tour Championship. However, little did she know that fate had other plans!

Fast forward to the LPGA Tour’s season finale. And the 32-year-old, after the third day of play, has found herself at the bottom of the leaderboard; at T60. A cruel fate? Yes, that is what Shin feels as well. “It’s been a brutal week so far as I try and remember how to swing a golf club,” wrote the athlete on her X handle. “I’ve always considered this like a major and it truly breaks my heart coming into this week unprepared.”

An unfortunate return after a hiatus? Yes. A Brutal one at that? Very much so. Especially since she failed to break a par score on all three days she teed off. As a result, the South Korean professional could only put up figures of 74-73-77 over the three rounds as she fell to the bottom spot. Such a performance might have invoked the wrath of many in the community. Well… Think again! For the golf world came together to help lift up her spirits instead.

LPGA Tour Pro Jenny Shin finds unmatched support from golf world

Let us take a trip back to the past; to the 2024 FM Championship, to be more specific. Back then, Jenny Shin was forced to pull out of the event all thanks to her straining her muscle. “I strained my left QL muscle and even with the best efforts it didn’t get better,” divulged the pro the next morning after her WD. “Thought taking inflammatory medications and a good warm-up could get me through the round but it just wasn’t getting better through the round. This I’ve made the decision to withdraw and take the rest of the week off.”

Then came the Maybank Championship where she had to withdraw yet again after the first round. And this time, it was all due to another muscle strain that she suffered on the range. “Will be heading to the hospital tomorrow morning for some MRI scans,” said the pro back in October, “Will be resting and taking these next two days to do some rehab work to try and play next week.” None of her fans forgot these strings of unfortunate events. A follower commented, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You played great all year then mentioned you were fighting some injuries in the last month or so. Just try to enjoy the round today and tomorrow. All of us on #10 think you’re great (and funny)!!”

Coming back to the LPGA Tour’s season finale, the golfer has only managed to card a figure of 8-over par overall after the third round of play. And she did so while dishing out 12 bogeys, and 1 double bogey while scoring just 7 birdies. An enthusiast urged her to perform her best on the last day of play all the while wishing her the best for 2025; “Focus on a strong finish. You can still get a good check. And then come back strong next year.” Meanwhile, another fan asked her not to worry about the numbers as they commented, “Just have fun and don’t worry about the score.”

Shin’s sole LPGA Tour win came at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in 2016. But even while sporting a single victory, it’s not as if she hasn’t been impressive over the years. The golfer has raked in as many as 44 top-10 finishes throughout her career, out of which three came in 2024. That’s not all. She also boasts 130 top-25 placements, 11 of which came in 2024.

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Frankly speaking, it would be a lie if one were to dub these figures as ‘unimpressive’. And so, some admirers of the LPGA pro came forward to push her on as they responded with various comments. One person wrote, “The way you played this year, you’re right there. Two rounds don’t define anything. Keep your head up and smile, you’re awesome!” while another reacted; “Don’t forget the hard work that got you there it will stand you in good stead … it’s a long road don’t be too harsh on yourself.”

Quite a loyal fanbase the South Korean athlete has. Anyone would be envious of the same. Anyhow, they would surely want her to come back as a stronger golfer next year, all the while dishing out even better performances. But will she be able to do it? The fans would certainly hope so!