It's been four years. It's been longer than I expected to be back on the Japanese stage. The years have only strengthened his mindset. Her golf has also started again.
Ahn Shin-ae will return to the Japan Ladies Professional Golf (JLPGA) Tour next year. At the final stage of the JLPGA Tour's Qualifying Tournament (QT) at Katsuragi Golf Club in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, she finished tied for 15th place. The result earned Ahn a top 35 seed on next year's JLPGA Tour, paving the way for her to play in Japan again for the first time in more than four years since November 2019.
In an interview with the Daily Economic Times on Thursday, Ahn said, "I had a passion for golf in the back of my mind. I challenged myself again because of that passion, and I'm glad it led to success," she smiled.
With three career wins on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour and three years on the Japanese scene since 2017, Ahn Shin-ae has garnered a lot of attention for her beauty and skill, but she hasn't had much time on the field since 2020. She was unable to play on the JLPGA Tour after the Japanese government imposed restrictions on foreigners entering the country in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, her breaks became longer. In the last four years, she has only played in two official tournaments: the Daebo Howdy Open in July 2021 and the Etsu Oil Championship last November.
"Because of the COVID-19 situation, I couldn't go back (to Japan), so I thought about taking a break. It was a much-needed break for me. I've been playing golf since I had an ego. I had time to think about what I'm good at besides golf," he said. It took longer than expected, and he went through a lot of different options. After much deliberation, she chose 'golf' again. Ahn Shin-ae said, "Still, golf is what I'm best at. My desire to play golf became stronger. After a long hiatus, people around me were surprised when I told them I was going to challenge the JLPGA Tour QT."
She didn't put down her clubs for four years, but last year she tried out for the LPGA Tour QT and passed the first test. After watching the Masters last year and being inspired by Tiger Woods, she realized that she had "half a chance" of making it. She then participated in the S-Oil Championship in Jeju last month. "It had been a long time since I had competed, but everything felt as familiar as if I had competed the previous week," says Ahn. My body remembered everything and it was vivid," she said. 카지노사이트가이드
The passage of time has only strengthened her mindset, and her biggest gain in four years was her victory. "I let go of the obsession I had before. I didn't think I could get better even if I increased my training 10 times. I just wanted to enjoy golf as much as possible," she says. She wanted to share the "joy of the preparation process" with her coach, New Zealander Richard Woodhouse, whom she had known as a rookie, and she took on the professional golf stage with a stronger mentality."It's the beginning of a new chapter for me as a golfer," Ahn said, as she prepares to take on the JLPGA Tour in earnest next year. For now, her plans are filled with golf. First, she will play in the Asian Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF) Simonne Asia-Pacific Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, starting on Nov. 21. Then, next month, she'll head to the United States for about five weeks of winter training for the new season. Ahn plans to prepare calmly while focusing on her golf, with the goal of playing in the opening round of the JLPGA Tour next season.
"I received a lot of love on the Japanese stage," Ahn said. Until last year, I couldn't say 'Hello' to Japanese fans. I felt like I didn't get to say, 'Thank you for everything,' but this time I got another chance, and I wanted to give back to the fans (who gave me so much love)," Ahn said. Despite being in his 30s, he is as excited as a rookie for the upcoming season.
"I'm going to focus on each moment and each round as much as possible, and if that goes well, the championship will follow naturally," she said, emphasizing that her mindset for next season will be different. "Even though the process and mindset will be different, I really want to plant the flag at the top of the Japanese stage. I haven't won in Japan yet. If my body and mind are well prepared, I'm sure I'll be able to win again," Ahn Shin-ae, a professional golfer, said encouragingly.