K.J. Choi continues the Asian winning trend
IN: News | European PGA | Linde German Masters (2003) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 22 Sep 2003
K.J. Choi became yet another Asian golfer to win outside the Asian Tour this year with his emphatic victory at the Linde German Masters.
Not only was it his first win in Europe but it was the 33-year-old's first start in Europe and the win follows the enourmous success of the Koreans on the LPGA Tour, his own wins in the US, the win last week in Japan by Jyoti Randhawa and the win on Sunday, also in Japan, by Wei Tze Yeh. The emergence of Asian Tour graduates in recent years has shown that the game's growing acceptance and accessibility in all Asian countries is beginning to manifest itself in international success.
K.J. Choi had the services of experienced caddy Andy Podger who recently finished a year long working arrangement with Colin Montgomerie. Podger, on the recommendation of Lee Westwood's caddy Peter Coleman, returned from a very brief retirement and a ladder accident to caddy for Choi. I was going to say carry the bag of Choi but the ladder accident had injured Podger to the extent that he could not carry the bag and for one of the very few times on tour he was afforded special dispensation to pull a buggy. The television cameras avoided the spectacle as much as they could but when the cameras could not, it highlighted a rather unique moment in European Tour golf.
Choi is of course a Presidents Cup Team member and his captain Gary Player will be excited by the form shown this week by two of his lesser players in Choi and Appleby, who was second in the US at the 84 Lumber Classic.
Niclas Fasth and the ever-present Ian Poulter tied for third.
I made reference to Lee Westwood earlier and it was once again good to see the Englishman playing well here with a last round 63, including a hole in one, for 13th.
Jarrod Mosley was the leading Australasian along with Michael Campbell finishing 8th and for both golfers things are getting better of late. Adam Scott was 16th, Marcus Fraser and Nick O'Hern 19th, Brett Rumford 43rd and Peter Fowler 50th.
The European Tour now heads to St Andrews for the Dunhill Links Championship.
