How does a professional golfer already struggling with an eight-year winless streak become caught up in a string of harmful incidents off the course? Veteran LPGA player Jenny Shin has been going through a difficult time in her career. Although she has consistently performed well, her last triumph was at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in 2016, prompting supporters and experts to wonder why she has been lacking for so long. At the 2025 Honda LPGA Thailand, Shin had a bizarre round, ending with a final score of 284 (-4) following rounds of 71-71-73-69. Despite her efforts, Shin earned $8,488 and tied for 43rd place.

But Shin’s problems lately went beyond the greens, as she had a series of incidents throughout her travels that made matters worse. Her open sharing of these occurrences on social media offers insight into the unforeseen difficulties that athletes face outside their professional settings.

LPGA star Jenny Shin plagued by back-to-back mishaps

Recently, she expressed her annoyance on Twitter while trying to depart from JFK Airport, “Currently at JFK flying with Delta. Never had problems with Delta at JFK until now. Our new flight time was 8:15am and when we rocked up to the gate, the agent tells us that we don’t have a captain. Haha WHAT?”.

The problems with the trip didn’t stop there. Shin posted a picture of herself and her partner on her Instagram stories with the description, “15 hours flight delay is insane. Not my worst but still an unpleasant experience LOL.” She uploaded a video of her damaged phone shortly after, captioning it, “Dropped my phone at the rental car center, and a car ran over it. THIS IS NOT MY DAY.”

Despite their seeming insignificance, these occurrences serve to underscore the extra difficulties that sportsmen like Shin encounter. The demands of professional sports can be exacerbated by personal accidents and travel delays, particularly for athletes already struggling with performance issues. These incidents give Shin a continuous desire to regain her winning form and a new dimension. As we go past these personal struggles, it’s noteworthy to learn about Shin’s viewpoint on professional golf and how she handles the game despite these difficult circumstances.

Shin gets real about professional golf

In March 2025, at the Inside the LPGA podcast, Jenny Shin provided a novel perspective on the professional golf industry. “Winning is so cliché,” she said, highlighting the fact that the sport is about more than just winning. Shin, who has only won once in her 15 years on tour, understands how difficult it is to reach the winner’s circle; therefore, it cannot be her sole objective each season. Shin believes that the experience gained both on and off the course, the journey, and personal development are more important than the awards.

In response to a question about her goals for this year, Shin stated that she wants to “focus on the process and not be so obsessed with the results” and that she is trying to refocus and rework her self-talk techniques so that she is more kind and empathetic when she doesn’t feel inadequate.

This viewpoint highlights Shin’s fortitude and capacity to see the good in the process, even in unfavorable results. She keeps a balanced perspective by emphasizing both her growth and the wider experiences the sport provides, which is essential at trying times. Shin’s strategy is evidence of the mental toughness needed in professional athletics. Even if wins are celebrated, an athlete’s career is defined by the journey, with its ups and downs. Shin’s story reminds golf fans and aspiring players of the value of tenacity, perspective, and discovering purpose outside of the scoreboard.