Choi elevates status at Players

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 The Players Championship | Final Round | 16 May 2011

K.J. Choi has parred the first extra hole of a playoff against David Toms to win the Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass today, winning the biggest title and the biggest purse in the soon to be 41 year old Korean’s already illustrious career.

It was Choi’s 8th PGA Tour title, the only thing missing now a major championship which might not be all that far away, especially given that Choi did win at the Congressional Country Club in 2007. Congressional will host the 2011 US Open in a month’s time so Choi is well placed to improve on his previous best major championship finish.

Choi was engaged in a thrilling last round battle with Toms and others although it would be he and Toms who had the event to themselves over the final two holes. Toms, who lead into the final round after the third round was completed on Sunday morning, had bogeyed the 16th when going for the green with his second, giving Choi an opening.

Choi did not take full advantage as he missed a six foot birdie putt there and they were tied at 12 under but at the 71st hole he hit a brilliant tee shot to 12 feet and holed the curling left to right putt to take the lead.

The par four 72nd hole would prove crucial and both found the fairway although Toms was in a sand filled divot. It would not stop Toms from hitting a brilliant second to 20 feet however. Choi missed the green right with a hybrid but then hit a superb chip to four feet.
Toms knew he would need to hole his putt for birdie if the event was to go into extra time and he did just that and when Choi holed for par they were back to the 17th tee to try and break the deadlock.

Choi hit first and finished 45 feet left of the hole from where he would face an incredibly difficult putt. Toms followed but finished 25 feet short and left of the hole. Choi’s attempt for birdie was brilliant and stopped two feet beyond the hole.

Toms ran his birdie attempt three feet by and then pulled his par putt and left Choi to clean up for the victory. He did just that and the US$1.71 million was his. Toms still earned US$1.026 million for his runner-up finish.

Choi was thanking more than just his golf game. “I’m just very thankful to the Lord. It’s Him that allowed me to win this tournament. The fan support was tremendous out there. I think the key thing for me today was to — because it was such a long day, to maintain my body and rhythm, to get enough rest in between, and stay patient and not give up.

Choi was thanking more than just his golf game. “I prayed really hard all through the day, and I think that’s why God was able to give me this great gift. I also want to thank my playing partners, David Toms and Graeme McDowell. Both of them, they really helped me play the way I did, like a good friend would, like a good younger brother would. They were just fantastic playing partners, and I really want to — they kept me in rhythm, they kept me focused and I really want to thank them for their attitude.”

Toms was both happy and yet disappointed.”Yeah, I was very happy with the way I held up the last, well, 31 holes I played today, I guess. You know, with the lead or around the lead the whole time, I mean, it’s tough when you haven’t been there in a while and when you haven’t played this golf course well.”

“The putt on the first extra hole well it was just one of those that, like I said, when you have uphill into the grain putts, anybody that plays golf on Bermuda greens, you know what it’s all about. You’ve got to hit them solid.

“I actually kind of hit it on the toe and didn’t get it rolling, and when I looked up it was left, and it was just a bad putt. No excuses, no spike marks, no ball marks, nothing. Maybe it was a lot of pressure, but other than that there was no excuse.”

Paul Goydos finished third with the ever present Luke Donald and Nick Watney sharing 4th position.

Six players tied for 6th including Australians Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day. Day holed a 35 foot putt at the last for birdie to move to 9 under and continue his great run in big events. After an early double bogey Day played the last six holes in five under including a holed 5 iron from the fairway at the 14th, a hole he had double bogeyed in round three.

Baddeley moved into contention when he birdied the 16th to get to 10 under but he three putted the 17th from long range to eventually share that congested 6th position. Both Baddeley and Day earn US$287,000 for their efforts with Baddeley moving to 7th on the money list and Day to 20th.

Matt Jones continued his recent good form when 19th while Greg Chalmers 41st and Robert Allenby 50th were the only other Australians to make the cut.

The PGA Tour now moves to Texas for this week’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

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