Choi chalks up yet another victory for family and country
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
HONOLULU -- K.J. Choi had found the woman he wanted to marry. Trouble was, Hyunjung Kim's parents weren't at all sure they wanted a professional golfer as a son-in-law.
| Inside the Numbers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| K.J. Choi's Final Stats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Who knew if Choi would be able to earn a steady paycheck and provide for their daughter? They saw risk where Choi saw the potential reward, and it was up to him to convince them that he could be a good husband.
Choi's first victory at the 1995 Fantom Open certainly helped erase some of the doubts. But truth be told, his future in-laws may have been more swayed by the determination and drive they saw in the young South Korean.
"When they looked at my eyes, they saw that I had the passion, the urge to succeed," said Choi, who has gone on to win more than $17 million. "I think once they read that in my eyes, that's when they approved."
And that urge to succeed served Choi well on this windswept Sunday at the Sony Open in Hawaii when he earned his seventh PGA TOUR victory. He didn't make a birdie until the final hole, but he was able to hold on for the three-stroke victory.
"I can't remember having such a difficult round," Choi said through his interpreter, Michael Yim. "I told myself, try not to lose focus. I really think the Lord helped me, making me feel comfortable.
"With strong winds out there today, it was very hard to make decisions, and actually every shot out there was difficult, was risky, because you never knew where the ball would go."
A three-putt bogey on the 13th hole -- where he missed an 11-inch putt -- served as Choi's wake-up call. Rory Sabbatini tried to make things interesting when he closed within two at the 16th hole, but Choi stubbornly refused to flinch.
The victory came on the 105th anniversary of the day the first Korean immigrants entered the United States. The SS Gaelic brought 56 men, 21 women and 25 children to Honolulu that day, and many descendants were in Choi's gallery Sunday.
"For me to win this tournament on this special day really means a lot," Choi said. "I think that's why with all the support, all the fan support out there, it made it that much more special."
Also in Choi's gallery were 11 friends from Wando, the South Korean island on which he grew up. They made their reservations to come to Hawaii and watch him play two months ago -- and the decision turned out to be prescient. The plane trip took eight hours Friday night, but they were on the first tee for the final two rounds, many wearing yellow shirts with Choi's name on them.
One of the friends owned Wando's only driving range -- a tiny 70-yard layout where Choi hit thousands of balls. Another drove the aspiring pro three hours -- one way -- so he could play golf on the mainland since there were no courses on Wando, where his parents farmed rice and seaweed.
Choi got his start by reading books by Jack Nicklaus, whose Memorial Tournament the South Korean captured last season in a Cinderfella story. Sunday's victory marked the fourth straight year Choi had won a tournament -- putting him in elite company with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson.
"I have an evening flight tonight so I'm going to try to ... get a short party going on," Choi said almost shyly, thinking about his friends. "Today is a very happy day, and I just own the Lord up there. Without him, I don't think I could have done it."
Choi is an extremely humble and generous man who donated $90,000 -- one tenth of his earnings -- to the Korean Presbyterian Church he attended when he won the 2005 Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. He came to Hawaii ranked ninth in the world, but his ego barely registers.
"I feel like if I'm one of the top players, then there's no room for improvement," he explains. "I always think that you have to respect the other players, as well, because when you have someone that you feel like you have to surpass, that sets a new motivation, a new goal."
Choi, who ironically finished dead last a week ago at the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship, has won more PGA TOUR events than any other Asian-born player. He's among those expected to contend at majors now, and Choi thinks the lessons he learned at Waialae on Sunday will serve him well.
"I think the biggest thing I learned this week is no matter what the conditions are out there, you have to stay patient with yourself," Choi said. "You can't just get too greedy. You have to accept the conditions as they are."
Choi came close at the 2004 Masters, making eagle at the par-4 11th on the way to a back-nine 31 on Sunday that left him three strokes behind Phil Mickelson. He has three other top-10s in majors, as well, and the mental toughness to persevere.
"I try to be a very patient man," Choi said. "I'm not perfect, but that's why I try; I pray every day, I read the Bible. Through that I'm able to learn about patience. I think that's important. Without patience, you can't really accomplish anything in life."
And much to his in-laws' delight, Choi has definitely accomplished a lot.
Get the best deals on the best equipment all at the SHOP.PGATOUR.COM.
LIVE ONLINE VIDEO
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network