Tag: K.J. Choi

Angel Cabrera still lurking at Carnoustie as K.J. Choi, Richard Green lead Senior Open

“So my caddie say, okay, tomorrow, no mistake.”

Angel Cabrera’s return to competitive golf has gone swimmingly thus far.

Cabrera, 54, was in prison in Brazil and Argentina for more than two years for domestic violence and other charges. In May, he was granted a visa. In June, he made his PGA Tour Champions return in Wisconsin. Two weeks after that, he won a match play event in England, his first professional victory after four years away from the game.

But now, he’s contending at a major, as his 70 in Saturday’s third round of the Senior Open Championship left him just five shots behind K.J. Choi heading into the final round of play.

Cabrera struggled a bit on the front with a pair of bogeys and a single birdie, but after the turn he caught fire, posting a 33 on the back to move into fifth place at 3 under for the tournament. Choi sits at 8 under while Richard Green (7 under), Arjun Atwal (6 under) and Paul Broadhurst (4 under) are ahead of him.

As a past winner on the PGA Tour, Cabrera is a PGA Tour Champions member, but his entry into a field is dependent upon how the field is filled, according to a spokesperson for PGA Tour Champions. As a major championship winner, he is eligible for both restricted and unrestricted sponsor exemptions, and there is no limit to the number of sponsor exemptions he can receive. He also is exempt to compete in an event qualifier as a past champion on the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, Choi is in position to capture the first major of his illustrious career. The eight-time PGA Tour winner overcame a rough stretch on the back nine Saturday, but posted a birdie on the final hole to regain the lead.

“Today, a couple shot mistake and then more worse than yesterday, last two days,” Choi said. “So my caddie say, okay, tomorrow, no mistake. So we make birdie. Make try on the irons. It’s a good sign today and happy with round.”

Steve Stricker wins Sanford International for sixth PGA Tour Champions victory of season

The Ryder Cup vice captain opened the week with course-record 62.

K.J. Choi and Steve Stricker posted matching course-record 62s on Friday to open the 2023 Sanford International.

Stricker then went 66-66 over the weekend at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to earn a one-stroke win, his sixth victory of the 2023 season and 17th overall on the PGA Tour Champions.

One of two Ryder Cup vice captains in the field (Jim Furyk is the other), Stricker had 16 birdies – including five in a row on the back nine during the first round – and two eagles over 54 holes. The eagles came on the 12th hole on Saturday and Sunday. He had only four bogeys on the week, including one the 18th Sunday, but a two-shot cushion before that hole assured him some wiggle room.

“There are a lot of guys up around the lead and it just became a two-man race there towards the end. It’s always a challenge. You’re fighting your game, you’re fighting your nerves, you’re just trying to get it done,” he said. “It’s so rewarding when you do, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to come here and play and enjoy the area, enjoy the course. Couldn’t ask for a better week.”

Stricker picked up $300,000 for the win and in the process set the mark for most money earned in a season on the Champions tour with $3,956,127.

Bernhard Langer finished solo fourth, marking his seventh straight top-10 finish of the season, a streak that started when he won the U.S. Senior Open in July. He shot a final-round 64 and was 12 under for the week, four shots back of Stricker.

John Daly, meanwhile, had had his best finish in more than a year with a tie for eighth. Daly’s average finish this season is 65th and he has WD’d from two events. This week, he went 66-64-70.

Aces high

There were two holes-in-one during the first round. Fred Funk aced the 17th hole using a hybrid from 199 yards while John Senden got his on No. 8 with a pitching wedge from 132 yards. There was another ace on Sunday when Jerry Kelly got one on the 17th hole.

Shooting his age or better

Dick Mast, 72, got in the field after Monday qualifying and bettered his age with even-par 70 in the first round. He matched his age with a 72 in Saturday’s third round. He beat his age by a shot during Sunday’s final round and tied for 67th, beating nine golfers, including Jim Furyk and European Ryder Cup vice captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

Internationals captain Trevor Immelman names four assistants for Presidents Cup

Trevor Immelman will captain the 2022 International squad in Charlotte.

Making his debut as captain of the International team for the upcoming Presidents Cup, Trevor Immelman can call on plenty of experience from his coaching staff.

Immelman, a South African who played in the Presidents Cup twice and was an assistant to Ernie Els in 2019, named his four vice captains Wednesday: Canadian Mike Weir, South Korean K.J. Choi, Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Colombian Camilo Villegas.

The U.S. leads the series 11-1-1. The Americans came from behind on the final day in 2019 at Royal Melbourne in Australia to win, 16-14. This year’s matches are Sept. 22-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Weir, who competed in the Presidents Cup five times and is one of five International players with 10 more match wins, will make his third appearance as a vice captain. He has eight PGA Tour titles, including the 2003 Masters, and one PGA Tour Champions victory.

Choi, who played in three editions of the Presidents Cup, will be making his third appearance as an assistant captain. He has won eight PGA Tour titles, including the 2011 Players Championship, and one PGA Tour Champions victory.

Ogilvy, who played in three Presidents Cups, has eight career PGA Tour victories, including the 2006 U.S. Open, and won two of Australia’s biggest titles – the 2008 Australian PGA and 2010 Australian Open.

Villegas will make his debut as an assistant. Villegas is the only player from Colombia to compete in the Presidents Cup, doing so in 2009. He’s won four times on the PGA Tour.

“The comradery that continues to grow within this team is irreplaceable,” Weir said in a release. “We can all sense the momentum that is building, and it’s been exciting to see Trevor’s incredible dedication and focus on his role. I can’t wait to see what tournament week holds for us and to be a part of the 2022 team.”

Said Ogilvy: “After getting a glimpse into the future of our team in 2019, I am very excited to return as a captain’s assistant. The collection of international players has only had time to improve and that is evident when you look at guys like Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama and Joaquin Niemann, who have had tremendous success on Tour in the last year.

“I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table under Trevor’s captaincy.”

[listicle id=778175311]

K.J. Choi makes PGA Tour Champions history at Pebble Beach

Choi edged Langer and Cejka by two shots to win at Pebble Beach.

K.J. Choi backed up his second-round 68 with another 68 on Sunday and went on to win the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach by two shots at 13 under. He is the first South Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions.

It’s his first win on the Champions circuit and his first win anywhere since he claimed the 2012 CJ Invitational on the Asian Tour, an event he hosts in Korea. Prior to that, he won the 2011 Players Championship in a playoff over David Toms.

Bernhard Langer and Alex Cejka also closed with final-round 68s but finished tied for second at 11 under. Scott Dunlap had the best final round, posting a 6-under 66. He finished solo fourth at 10 under.

The Pure Insurance was played on two golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Resort and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The tournament featured participants from First Tee chapters around the country, who were paired with a Champions tour players for the week.

Colin Vineberg shot 23 under after scores of 64-64-65 to finish as low boys junior golfer. Sydney Craven finished 26 under after going 65-61-64 over the three days to finish as the low girls junior.

[listicle id=778101266]

Bernhard Langer got hot at Pebble Beach, where the ‘scenery is better than anywhere else’

The biggest story on Saturday was Bernhard Langer, at age 64, finishing with a 66 on the day. 

K.J. Choi, who lost in a playoff just last week at the Sanford International (eventually won by Darren Clarke), leads after round two of the Pure Insurance Championship. The 2011 Players champion fired a 4-under 68 at Pebble Beach, Monterey Peninsula, California.

Choi has made just one bogey through his first 36 holes, and will enter Sunday’s final round with a narrow edge.

But the biggest story on Saturday was Bernhard Langer, at age 64, finishing with a 66 on the day.

Langer got hot after the turn, posting birdies on four of his last eight holes while playing Pebble Beach, and the 41-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions said it’s the best round he’s had on the iconic course in decades. Langer and Alex Cejka, who shot a 71 on Saturday, both trail Choi by two strokes.

“I played really good today, really one of my best rounds on this golf course in 40 years or something, 30 years, I don’t know. Hit some great tee shots and some solid irons, and made the odd putt. So, very happy,” Langer said, “It got pretty cold the last hour or so. And, yeah, excited about tomorrow.”

K.J. Choi of the Republic of Korea hits his tee shot on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links during Round Two of the PURE Insurance Championship on September 25, 2021 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Langer, who last won at the 2020 Cologuard Classic, was asked what he likes about Pebble Beach.

“Just about everything. It’s right there in front of you. You got to play smart, and certain holes you got to be aggressive, keep the ball under the hole, and take your chances when you can,” he said. “But the scenery is better than anywhere else, really.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

 

Darren Clarke wins Sanford International in playoff over Steve Flesch, K.J. Choi

Darren Clarke birdied the second playoff hole to win the Sanford International in in South Dakota.

SOUIX FALLS, S.D. — Steve Flesch had his chance to win the fourth edition of the Sanford International in regulation.

K.J. Choi had the win in front of him on the first playoff hole.

Both men missed their opportunities.

Darren Clarke, meanwhile, just kept hanging in there, and when he got his chance he didn’t miss.

Clarke, Flesch and Choi finished the three-day PGA Tour Champions event tied at 12 under, forcing a playoff on the 18th hole, where it took two tries for a winner to emerge. It was Clarke, whose long chip from the fringe stopped just feet from the cup, giving him a relatively easy birdie putt that secured the win and $270,000 in prize money.

Clarke had similar approaches on the 18th hole in regulation and on the first playoff, and he didn’t execute either very well. When given a third chance, he didn’t miss.

“The second time around I thought, I know the speed now, the ball just went right,” Clarke said. “The third time around I was just that stubborn that I was gonna prove to myself that I could hit it the right distance and I did. In a playoff you never know what can happen. Anybody can make birdie. Luckily it was my day today.”

Clark shot a 5-under 65 on Sunday to pull even with Flesch and Choi. Choi entered the day at 11 under, two strokes up on Paul Stankowski and Alex Cejka, both of whom quickly played themselves out of contention.

That allowed Clarke and Flesch to make their moves, which they did steadily amid a fierce wind that at times made birdies difficult. Choi came out steady and conservative, starting the day with 12 straight pars before notching his first birdie on 13.

On the par-5 16th, Clarke unleashed a monstrous drive that set him up for the late push that pulled him even. Still, he needed help to eventually hoist the trophy.

After Choi settled for par on 16, Flesch headed to the 18th tee box with a one-stroke lead at 13 under. But his tee shot left him behind a tree, and rather than cut his losses and knock the ball back into the fairway, he tried to wrap his second shot around the tree. Instead, he smacked right into it, knocking his ball backward. He needed a strong finish to the hole just to get a bogey, which allowed Clarke and Choi to advance to the playoff.

In the first playoff Choi was the only one to hit the green in regulation, and had a 12-footer for a birdie and the win. He missed, so he and Clarke advanced to a second playoff hole while Flesch was eliminated.

The wind was a factor all day, with gusts of up to 40-mph, but Clarke was able to use that to his advantage, something the Minnehaha course adheres to anyway.

“I think if you drive it well here you can score well,” Clarke said. “And the driver is probably my favorite club in the bag. So today I drove the ball well. I hit it long and I hit it straight and when I do that I have a chance to contend.

“(The wind) was tough, it was tricky, but you saw good scores yesterday and you saw good scores today,” he added. “The course was eminently playable, but if you were slightly off with your ballstriking you could play a big penalty with that wind.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez, last year’s winner, finished strong with a 66 to end up tied for fourth at 10 under with Rod Pampling. U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker finished 9 under, followed by John Senden, Steven Alker, Retief Goosen and Cejka, who all finished at 8 under.

Clarke said in addressing the fans after the win that the Sanford International is one of the most well-attended and supported events on the entire Champions tour.

“The fans have been very good to me,” Clarke said. “I’ve really enjoyed my time in Sioux Falls. The fans have been brilliant. I’ve had a beverage with one or two of them in the past, so it’s been nice to be back out here.”

[listicle id=778101266]

K.J. Choi leads Sanford International by two; Shaun Micheel’s ace turns heads

K.J. Choi shot a 4-under 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Sanford International.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – K.J. Choi shot a 4-under 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Sanford International.

Tied for the first-round lead with Darren Clarke after a 63, Choi had five birdies and bogey at Minnehaha Country Club to reach under 11. The 51-year-old South Korean player won eight times on the PGA Tour.

Paul Stankowski (63), Alex Cejka (64) and Rod Pampling (67) were second, and Steve Flesch (65) and Mario Itziani (67) were another stroke back.

Darren Clarke opened with a double bogey in a 70 that dropped him into a tie for seventh at 7 under with Retief Goosen (68), David McKenzie (65) and South Dakota native Tom Byrum (67).

John Daly is currently tied for 41st.

Due to expected high winds tomorrow, the final round will begin at 8:00 a.m. Gates will open at 7:00 a.m.

Hole-in-one warms up the day

The morning might have started off cool with golfers like Daly and Fred Couples wearing long-sleeve shirts. But by noon, long-sleeves had been taken off.

But for some more young viewers, like local superstar Little League Pitcher Gavin Wier, the day was exciting despite the brisk morning.

“We love to golf but we just don’t get to do it after baseball,” Wier’s father Ronnie said. The Wiers along with other members of the team were invited to the tournament. It was the Wiers’ first time attending.

As the day warmed up, excitement grew especially after a hole-in-one by Shaun Micheel on the 10th hole around noon.

Fans cheers and those who missed it were caught asking what happened.

“A hole-in-one but I don’t know who it was,” one excited woman told another walking down the path near the clubhouse.

Older viewers took the time to tell kids that they should admire the abundance of pro-golfers around them.

“You should be like these gentlemen when you grow up,” a grandfather told his grandson, who looked no older than 6, after Couples, Steve Stricker and Steve Flesch teed-offed at the 12th hole.

Stricker, U.S. Ryder Cup captain, was 7 under in his group. He’ll lead the United States against Europe next week at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.