Jiyai Shin wins Ricoh Women’s British Open

Jiyai Shin cruised to a nine-shot victory over fellow South Korean Inbee Park in the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Liverpool. It was her second Open title in the last five years.

In extremely testing conditions the 24-year-old fired a final round of 73 to finish the tournament as the only player to break par over the four days.

The win means that Asian players have won every major championship in the women's game through 2012. Sun Young Noo and Na Yeon Choi of South Korea took the Kraft Nabisco Championship and US Women's Open, while Shanshan Feng of China won the LPGA Championship.

Shin began the final round at Hoylake three strokes clear of Karrie Webb from Australia. The South Korean started poorly with a triple bogey, but Webb also stumbled early by dropping four shots in her first three holes.

Webb struggled through the final round and ended by posting a disappointing 82. She finished back in a tie for fifth.

Shin birdied the 6th and 7th to give herself a comfortable cushion - six ahead at the turn. She never looked threatened and three further birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th holes put here 11 clear of the field.

That advantage was trimmed slightly as Shin dropped a shot at the 17th and Park made a birdie at the home hole, in encroaching darkness. Even so, Shin's nine-stroke victory was the biggest winning margin since the Women's British Open became a major.

"I think this course is made for me. I had great confidence here and I have great memories of this tournament. Always when I come to the British Open I really enjoy myself and that helped my game today," she said. "The weather was really tough but I just kept focused on each single shot. After I made the winner's putt it felt like, oh my God, I was so excited."

Inbee Park finished alone in second with the closing birdie, one shot clear of Paula Creamer from the USA. The American produced one of the rounds of the day to close with a 72.

15-year-old South Korean-born New Zealand Lydia Ko took the Smyth Salver as the leading amateur in a share of 17th place on nine-over-par.

Ricoh Women's British Open Royal Liverpool GC, England Sep 13-16, purse €1,920,130, par 72

1   Jiyai Shin (Kor)      71   64   71   73   279     2   Inbee Park (Kor)      72   68   72   76   288 3   Paula Creamer (USA)   73   72   72   72   289    4   Mika Miyazato (Jap)   71   70   72   77   290 T5   So Yeon Ryu (Kor)   70   74   71   76   291    T5   Karrie Webb (Aus)   71   70   68   82   291    7   Julieta Granada (Mex)   74   71   74   74   293 T8   Stacy Lewis (USA)   74   70   76   74   294    T8   Katie Futcher (USA)   71   71   73   79   294   

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage Where next? European Tour - Gonzalo Fernandez Castano wins Italian Open