Veteran Aussie LPGA player Sarah Kemp wants to see up-and-comer Claire Shin take her talents to the United States, comparing her short game to that of six-time major winner Phil Mickelson.

Both Kemp and Shin are part of the John Serhan coaching stable based out of St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney, Kemp the one to have the added bonus of having coach Serhan on the bag for this week’s Ford Women’s NSW Open at Wollongong Golf Club.

Exposed to Shin’s games in practice sessions and casual rounds at St Michael’s the past two years, Kemp got to witness the 20-year-old’s skills and temperament in tournament play at last week’s Australian Women’s Classic in Coffs Harbour.

The 39-year-old is on the comeback trail after a serious leg injury and was particularly impressed by Shin’s short game across the opening two rounds.

“On the first day she was like Phil Mickelson, watching her short game,” said Kemp, who was tied fourth in her first significant tournament in seven months. “She holed everything.

“She has a really good short game, which doesn’t surprise me working with John Serhan.

“She’s a great little player and she’s doing just great.

“I’m trying to get her to go over to Epson (Tour) and play some events, depending on her status.

“But yeah, she’s going to be a good player.”

It was shortly after linking with Serhan as a 17-year-old that Shin broke through for the biggest win of her amateur career at the 2023 Avondale Amateur.

Two months later, she lost in a playoff to Kiwi Momoka Kobori at the Women’s NSW Open at Tuncurry. Since turning professional, Shin has accumulated wins at the Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifier at Wagga Wagga last November and The Athena just a few weeks ago at Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club.

Despite a trajectory that would suggest playing on an international tour sooner rather than later, Shin admits that the mental aspect of the game remains a work in progress.

“John sees that I’ve been improving so much with my golf shots – my putting, my chipping and all that – but one thing is that I get really nervous, so I overthink too much,” Shin conceded.

“We had a lesson the week before The Athena and I started talking about confidence because I start to doubt myself. You’re going to miss this putt. I can’t miss this putt. Oh, you’re going to miss it. No, you’re not going to miss it. I just keep fighting those demons away.

“It’s just been really hard to focus on mental health so I need to prepare that as well.

“I know most of the professionals get nervous as well, but they wouldn’t be that extreme compared to me.

“I think I need to be stronger in that.”

Shin is in the field this week due to her win at Wagga Wagga and comes in having made the cut last week in a tournament co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.

The first round will be played on Thursday.

The Ford Women's NSW Open is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The Ford Women’s NSW Open will be broadcast on Fox Sports on Foxtel and Kayo this weekend.