Tag: 2024 Senior British Open

K.J. Choi claims first senior major victory at 2024 Senior Open Championship

For Choi, it’s his second PGA Tour Champions victory and first since 2021.

It was a special Sunday for K.J. Choi in Scotland.

The 54-year-old from South Korea won his first senior major championship at Carnoustie, going low on the back nine to pull away and win the 2024 Senior Open Championship by two shots over Richard Green.

“Very historical for Korean player to win this,” he said.

Choi, who led by one entering the final round, shot 4-under 32 on the back nine to finish at 10 under for the week.

For Choi, it’s his second PGA Tour Champions victory and first since 2021. He was the only player to shoot under par all four rounds in the Senior Open Championship, and only 11 players finished under par for the week.

“I really want it, champion, because my dream come true,” he said. “For player from Korea, is always Open watch on TV.

“This event is historical in Korea, first-time champion in Senior Open. Very proud this week.”

Paul Broadhurst placed third at 6 under while Stephen Ames came in fourth at 3 under. Green birdied the final hole while Choi made bogey, but with a four-shot lead heading to the final hole, the lead was safe.

In 2007, Choi placed T-8 at the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie.

This real-life ‘Tin Cup’ is making his senior debut at the Senior British Open

Perry owns a synthetic turf and landscaping company and played all of one PGA Tour round before qualifying.

Meet Jason Perry, a modern-day, real-life Tin Cup story.

Perry turned 50 in February and the former mini-tour golfer from 20-plus years ago who lays synthetic turf for a living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is competing this week in the Senior British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland.

It will be his first start on PGA Tour Champions and his first time playing in a major championship of any sort. The last time he played in a tournament at this level? That would be the 1998 Bell South Classic, a PGA Tour event played in Atlanta at the time, where he was a Monday qualifier and played one round before being disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Perry chased his dream for much of the 1990s, playing the Developmental Players Tour with players such as Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley, as well as the Hooters Tour and Teardrop Tour. But he said he wasted his talent.

“If after the first day I shot 66 or 67,” Perry said, “I was finding the local pub.”

But he hasn’t played a professional event since and hardly anything at this level other than making it to Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open once seven years ago. It will also be his first time playing overseas and anything close to authentic links golf. Asked what he knows about Carnoustie, he said, “I know it’s hard. Other than that, I’ve been watching YouTube videos of it.”

On July 9, Perry shot 64 at Firestone Country Club’s Fazio Course in northeast Ohio, tying for second out of a 137-man field to earn one of five spots available and qualify for Carnoustie. He joined a former middle-school math teacher from Michigan, Jay Jurecic, and a South Dakota real estate loan officer, Donald Carpenter III, among those to advance to the senior major.

Perry drove 10 hours home that night to get back to work. He’s spent the past 10 years installing artificial turfs and for the last couple has been the owner of JP’s Custom Turf & Landscaping. He was wrapping up a few final jobs installing putting greens and landscape turf so he could practice before traveling overseas.

“It’s just coming together,” he said of his game. “I was just waiting to turn 50 and give it a try.”