K. J. Choi
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Family name hatnote Template:Infobox golfer Choi Kyung-Ju (Template:Langx; born 19 May 1970), commonly known as K. J. Choi, is a South Korean professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. Since turning pro in 1994, he has won more than thirty professional golf tournaments worldwide, including eight on the PGA Tour. His most notable victory came at the 2011 Players Championship, and he has spent 40 weeks in the top-10 of the world rankings.[1][2]
Professional career
In 1994, Choi turned professional after fulfilling his military obligation.[3]
After establishing his career on the Korean Tour, where he picked up his first professional win in 1995, and the Japan Golf Tour, where he won twice in 1999, Choi qualified for membership of the U.S.-based PGA Tour by finishing tied 35th at the 1999 qualifying tournament. He was the first Korean to earn a PGA Tour card. In his rookie season in 2000 he finished 134th on the money list and had to requalify, but since 2001 he has been a consistent performer on the tour. In 2002 he became the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour at the Compaq Classic of New Orleans, and followed it up with another victory at the Tampa Bay Classic later that year.
In 2003 he won the Linde German Masters on the European Tour, his first and only win to date on the European Tour.[4]
Choi won Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament in 2007. He mentioned on CBS during the AT&T National that he read Jack Nicklaus's "Golf My Way" book early in his golf career, which assisted him in becoming the golfer he is today.
Choi won the first AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. The trophy is a small replica of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. He made a spectacular sand trap shot on the 17th hole for a birdie to clinch the win over Steve Stricker by 3 shots. Choi was a crowd favorite and threw his golf ball into the crowd after holing his sand shot on the 17th hole.
In August 2007 he reached the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time. In January 2008, Choi won the Sony Open in Hawaii and rose to world number 7.[5] In March 2008, Choi reached fifth place in the rankings.
After his 7th PGA Tour victory at the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii, Choi donated $320,000 of his earnings to the victims' families of a warehouse fire in Seoul, South Korea, which killed over forty people.
Choi won his fourth title on the Asian Tour in Malaysia in 2009 at the Iskandar Johor Open, which was reduced to 3 rounds due to inclement weather.
In May 2011, Choi won The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in a playoff against David Toms. Choi had a one shot lead going down the 18th hole in regulation time, but Toms made birdie while Choi could only chip and putt for a par taking it to a sudden-death playoff. Both players found the green at the first extra hole, the 17th, and then missed with their attempted birdie efforts. Toms however also missed the return four footer for par leaving Choi with a three-foot par putt to seal victory. This to date is the South Korean's biggest PGA Tour victory.[6] Following his win, Choi donated $200,000 to help victims of the tornadoes that ravaged the southeastern United States in April.[7]
In February 2016, Choi finished runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open to Brandt Snedeker, during a Monday finish to the weather disrupted event. This was notable because it was the first time in Choi's PGA Tour career that he did not convert a 54-hole lead or co-lead into a win. He was previously 5 for 5 in converted 54 holes leads to victories. The result moved Choi up 197 places in the world rankings from 334th to 137th. Choi continued his good early season from at the Northern Trust Open where he finished in a tie for fifth, despite holding the co-lead during the final round. This moved Choi to just outside the top 100 at 102nd in the rankings.
In May 2020, Choi turned 50 years of age and qualified for the PGA Tour Champions. In September 2021, Choi won his first tournament on that tour, the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.[8]
In November 2022, Choi visited Vietnam to co-design with golf architect Paul Albanese the Rock Valley Course at Amber Hills Golf & Resort in Bắc Giang province near Hanoi.[9]
At the 2024 Senior Open at Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland, in July 2024, Choi kept the lead he held after both the second and third round and won the tournament, becoming the first South Korean player to win a Senior Major Championship, men or women. After birdies on the 12th and 13th holes in the last round and an eagle on the 14th hole, Choi reached a four-shot-lead. He finally finished two shots ahead of runner-up Richard Green.[10][11]
Personal life
Choi was born in Wando, South Korea. Before picking up golf, he was a competitive power lifter, being able to squat Script error: No such module "convert". as a Script error: No such module "convert". 13-year-old, thus aptly nicknamed "Tank" by South Koreans. He currently resides in Southlake, Texas, near fellow South Korean PGA Tour player Yang Yong-eun.[12]
He is a devout Christian[13] and member of the Korean United Methodist Church.[14] In December 2023, he was ordained as an elder at Onnuri Community Church. His wedding to his equally devout Christian wife was officiated by Rev. Ha Yong-jo of that church .[15]
Choi played the role of professional golfer T.K. Oh in the Christian sports movie Seven Days in Utopia.
He has donated much of his money to charity through the K.J. Choi Foundation.[14]
With golf becoming an official event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Choi served as the coach for the South Korean men's golf team.
In his hometown of Wando, a public square named "Choi Kyung-ju Plaza" honors him.
Professional wins (33)
PGA Tour wins (8)
| Legend |
|---|
| Players Championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (7) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 May 2002 | Compaq Classic of New Orleans | 68-65-71-67=271 | −17 | 4 strokes | Template:Flagicon Dudley Hart, Template:Flagicon Geoff Ogilvy |
| 2 | 22 Sep 2002 | Tampa Bay Classic | 63-68-68-68=267 | −17 | 7 strokes | Template:Flagicon Glen Day |
| 3 | 2 Oct 2005 | Chrysler Classic of Greensboro | 64-69-67-66=266 | −22 | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Shigeki Maruyama |
| 4 | 29 Oct 2006 | Chrysler Championship (2) | 68-66-70-67=271 | −13 | 4 strokes | Template:Flagicon Paul Goydos, Template:Flagicon Brett Wetterich |
| 5 | 3 Jun 2007 | Memorial Tournament | 69-70-67-65=271 | −17 | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Ryan Moore |
| 6 | 8 Jul 2007 | AT&T National | 66-67-70-68=271 | −9 | 3 strokes | Template:Flagicon Steve Stricker |
| 7 | 13 Jan 2008 | Sony Open in Hawaii | 64-65-66-71=266 | −14 | 3 strokes | Template:Flagicon Rory Sabbatini |
| 8 | 15 May 2011 | The Players Championship | 70-68-67-70=275 | −13 | Playoff | Template:Flagicon David Toms |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | The Players Championship | Template:Flagicon David Toms | Won with par on first extra hole |
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 Sep 2003 | Linde German Masters | 63-68-64-67=262 | −26 | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Miguel Ángel Jiménez |
Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 Apr 1999 | Kirin Open1 | 65-68-71=204* | −9 | Playoff | Template:Flagicon Jeev Milkha Singh |
| 2 | 23 May 1999 | Ube Kosan Open | 69-65-66-72=272 | −16 | 3 strokes | Template:Flagicon Kazuhiko Hosokawa |
*Note: The 1999 Kirin Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Co-sanctioned by the Asia Golf Circuit
Japan Golf Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Kirin Open | Template:Flagicon Jeev Milkha Singh | Won with par on first extra hole |
Asian Tour wins (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 Sep 1999 | Kolon Korea Open1 | 71-71-67-69=278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Kyi Hla Han |
| 2 | 28 Jun 2003 | SK Telecom Open1 | 64-69-68=201* | −15 | Playoff | Template:Flagicon Shin Yong-jin |
| 3 | 8 May 2005 | SK Telecom Open1 (2) | 67-71-68-69=275 | −13 | 5 strokes | Template:Flagicon Andrew Buckle, Template:Flagicon Fred Couples |
| 4 | 25 Oct 2009 | Iskandar Johor Open | 68-64-64=196* | −20 | 4 strokes | Template:Flagicon Chapchai Nirat |
| 5 | 23 Oct 2011 | CJ Invitational1 | 67-70-67-67=271 | −17 | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Noh Seung-yul |
| 6 | 7 Oct 2012 | CJ Invitational1 (2) | 69-65-68-67=269 | −15 | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Bae Sang-moon, Template:Flagicon Jang Dong-kyu |
*Note: Tournament shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
1Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour
Asian Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003 | SK Telecom Open | Template:Flagicon Shin Yong-jin | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
Korean Tour wins (17)
*Note: Tournament shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
Korean Tour playoff record (2–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995 | Shinhan Donghae Open | Template:Flagicon Choi Sang-ho, Template:Flagicon Mike Tschetter | Choi Sang-ho won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2003 | SK Telecom Open | Template:Flagicon Shin Yong-jin | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2005 | Shinhan Donghae Open | Template:Flagicon Kim Jong-duck | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2024 | SK Telecom Open | Template:Flagicon Park Sang-hyun | Won with par on second extra hole |
Other wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 Mar 1996 | Parmax Invitational | 72-70-71=213 | −3 | 6 strokes | Template:Flagicon Lim Jin-han |
| 2 | 30 Nov 2008 | LG Skins Game | US$415,000 | $165,000 | Template:Flagicon Stephen Ames | |
PGA Tour Champions wins (2)
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior major championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour Champions (1) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 Sep 2021 | PURE Insurance Championship | 67-68-68=203 | −13 | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Alex Čejka, Template:Flagicon Bernhard Langer |
| 2 | 28 Jul 2024 | The Senior Open Championship | 69-69-70-70=278 | −10 | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Richard Green |
PGA Tour Champions playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021 | Sanford International | Template:Flagicon Darren Clarke, Template:Flagicon Steve Flesch | Clarke won with birdie on second extra hole Flesch eliminated by par on first hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||
| U.S. Open | ||
| The Open Championship | CUT | T49 |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T15 | 3 | T33 | CUT | T27 | 41 | CUT | |||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T30 | CUT | T31 | T15 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T47 | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T22 | T16 | T41 | CUT | T8 | T16 | CUT | ||
| PGA Championship | T29 | CUT | T69 | T6 | T40 | T7 | T12 | CUT | T24 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T4 | T8 | CUT | T46 | T34 | ||
| U.S. Open | T47 | CUT | T15 | T32 | |||
| The Open Championship | CUT | T44 | T39 | T44 | CUT | ||
| PGA Championship | T39 | T39 | T54 | T47 | CUT | T22 |
| Tournament | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |
| PGA Championship | |
| U.S. Open | |
| The Open Championship |
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 7 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 9 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 12 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 55 | 37 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (2003 Open Championship – 2005 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (six times)
The Players Championship
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Players Championship | 1 shot deficit | −13 (70-68-67-70=275) | Playoff | Template:Flagicon David Toms |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T28 | CUT | T42 | CUT | T16 | T23 | CUT | T71 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T34 | 1 | CUT | T48 | T13 | T42 | T43 | CUT |
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match Play | R32 | R64 | R64 | R64 | R32 | QF | R64 | R32 | R64 | R64 | ||
| Championship | T6 | T57 | T43 | T32 | T19 | T12 | T59 | T39 | T35 | |||
| Invitational | T19 | T53 | T58 | T51 | T22 | T11 | T16 | T45 | T46 | T59 | T8 | |
| Champions | T30 | T16 | ||||||||||
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Senior major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Senior Open Championship | 1 shot lead | −10 (69-69-70-70=278) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Richard Green |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | T36 | T6 | |||
| Senior PGA Championship | T3 | T4 | T26 | T32 | |
| Senior Players Championship | T32 | T11 | T3 | 4 | T16 |
| U.S. Senior Open | CUT | 11 | T22 | ||
| The Senior Open Championship | T14 | 1 |
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
Professional
- World Cup (representing South Korea): 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2013
- Presidents Cup (International Team): 2003 (tie), 2007, 2011
See also
- 1999 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
- 2000 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
- List of golfers with most Asian Tour wins
References
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External links
- Template:JapanTour player
- Template:KoreanTour player
- Template:EuroTour player
- Template:AsianTour player
- Template:PGATour player
- Template:OWGR
Template:Players Championship champions Template:Senior British Open Championship champions Script error: No such module "navboxes". Template:2003 International Presidents Cup team Template:2007 International Presidents Cup team Template:2011 International Presidents Cup teamScript error: No such module "navboxes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Pages with script errors
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- Pages with broken file links
- South Korean male golfers
- Asian Tour golfers
- Japan Golf Tour golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- Winners of senior major golf championships
- Expatriate golfers in the United States
- People from Wando County
- South Korean expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- South Korean United Methodists
- Sportspeople from South Jeolla Province
- 1970 births
- Living people
- Presidents Cup competitors for International