KJ Choi and Shigeki Maruyama became the first Asian-born players to enjoy a 1-2 finish on the United States PGA Tour by coming out on top at the Greensboro Chrysler Classic on Sunday.
South Korea’s Choi became one of just four Asian-born players who have captured the US PGA event as he posted his first win on American soil since 2002.
Choi birdied the first four holes of the final round to take a lead he never surrendered on his way to a two-stroke victory over Japan’s Maruyama.
Playing with 10 new clubs in his bag, Choi carded a closing six-under-par 66 to finish at 22-under-par 266.
”Ten minutes before the first round, this feel came back to me like I had in 2002, when I had two victories,” he said. ”I was able to carry that throughout the tournament.”
He earning his third tour victory and first since 2002, although he did win twice overseas in 2003.
Choi collected $900 000 dollars to jump to 33rd on the money list, bringing a halt to what had been a disappointing season.
He changed his swing at the start of the year in an effort to work the ball both ways after previously playing a left-to-right fade almost exclusively.
”Fading the ball’s OK when the wind’s off the right, but when the wind’s off the left, you’re going to miss fairways and greens to the right,” said Andy Prodger, Choi’s caddie. ”He’s brought in a scenario now where he can get to 18 pins, instead of nine or so.”
Choi started the event with five consecutive birdies in the first round, a perfect tonic for a player with wavering confidence.
He never looked back, leading the field in both driving accuracy and putting, a pretty lethal combination.
It was a stark transformation from last week, when he missed the cut at the Texas Open.
”I think he’s the strongest Asian player in the world,” Maruyama said.
The two are good friends who communicate mainly in Japanese, a language Choi learned during his stint on the Japan Tour.
Maruyama played the first two rounds with Choi. But they did not play together on Sunday, which meant Maruyama could only look at the leader boards to see what his rival — and friend — was doing.
Choi teed off tied for the lead with DJ Trahan, who faded to tie for 13th, and quickly stamped his authority on the event with a series of crisp iron shots and precise putts.
He wasn’t flawless, three-putting the fifth and 10th holes for bogeys. But a birdie at the par-three 12th, where he holed a 34-foot bunker shot, helped re-establish a three-shot lead.
Another birdie at the par-five 13th extended his cushion.
With nobody able to make a charge, it was academic after that as Choi calmly parred home and Maruyama broke free of the pack to claim second with a 67, capping his day with a birdie from a greenside bunker at the last hole.
”I could hear KJ making birdies at the beginning and I couldn’t make the putts the first few holes to make him feel fear,” said Maruyama, the winner here two years ago.
”I just didn’t have two more lucky putts, but I’m really satisfied with my golf today. This has brought me a lot of confidence for the rest of the year.”
Charles Warren (65), Brandt Jobe (67) and Jason Bohn (70) tied for third, five shots behind Choi. — Sapa-AFP