Choi shoots sublime 65 to win Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio: South Korean K.J. Choi charged from five strokes behind to win the $6 million Memorial tournament with a near-flawless final round on Sunday.
He gathered six birdies in a blistering front nine to hit the front at the turn, and used a hot putter to preserve his lead and claim a one-stroke victory over American Ryan Moore.
Choi missed only one putt from inside 15 feet, shooting 65 on another ideal day for low scoring at Muirfield Village to finish at 17-under-par 271.
The 37-year-old from Wando, who now lives in Houston, Texas, is the most successful Asian player in PGA Tour history but his fifth win in the US and 11th globally was easily the biggest of his career.
He learned the game from a Jack Nicklaus instruction book, and little did he think that two decades later he would win the great man's tournament.
K.J. Choi of South Korea holds up the Memorial trophy after winning the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio on Sunday. Choi charged from five strokes behind to win the $6 million tournament with a near-flawless final round. Reuters |
"I feel very honored, very happy to be living in the same age as Jack, and to win his tournament is very meaningful to me. I can only think that this was meant to be and I want to thank God for today," Choi, who became a Christian after moving to the US, told reporters.
"It's my fifth win on tour, so I felt very comfortable, no pressure really. I'm getting used to playing in the bigger tournaments."
He certainly looked comfortable, making a series of clutch par-saving putts over the final three holes, a seven-footer at the 16th followed by a 16-footer at the 17th.
He left himself with work at the par-four 18th after dumping a five-iron into a greenside bunker, from where he hit a decent recovery but was still nearly five feet from the hole.
He stroked the putt home before waited to see if anyone could catch him. Moore was already in the clubhouse with a 66, so Choi only had to worry about Adam Scott and Rod Pampling, both one shot behind with two holes left.
But the two Australians made matching bogeys at the 17th and Choi was home, gratefully receiving the congratulations of Nicklaus, along with $1,080,000.
Pampling (72) parred the last to tie for third with Kenny Perry (63), two shots off the pace, while Scott (70) bogeyed the last to tie for fifth, another stroke back.
Moore was not in the picture until very late, running off five straight birdies from the 13th hole.
World No 1 Tiger Woods shot 67 to tie for 15th, eight strokes off the pace in his final tune-up for the US Open starting next Thursday.
Agencies
(China Daily 06/05/2007 page24)
