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Conquering Choi

The South Korean leads every round at tough Copperhead course for 7-shot win.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 23, 2002

PALM HARBOR -- K.J. Choi made a hard game look easy, turned a difficult course into a pushover.

Golf is rarely so simple, and the Copperhead course at the Westin Innisbrook Resort has a more formidable reputation.

But for four days, Choi was on top of his game and manhandled one of the PGA Tour's sternest layouts on his way to a seven-shot victory, the largest this year on tour.

His 3-under 68 on Sunday capped a wire-to-wire win at the Tampa Bay Classic, where Choi completed the 72-hole tournament at 17-under 267.

"I think the course is one of the best courses we play on tour," said Glen Day, who shot 69 for second. "I think it was playing great. It was in good shape. The greens are fast. If you got on the wrong side of the hole, you had to pay attention. The fairways were firm and rolling. If you got it going off line, you got it in the rough and the rough was tough.

"You see things like that ... you don't think 17 under."

Choi's winning score was four better than John Huston's total in 2000, though the course played almost a stroke harder for the week. There also were three fewer rounds in the 60s.

"You always seem to see somebody play well, but what he did is pretty awesome. The course is playing long. It's tough to get it close," said Carl Paulson, who finished second at the Classic two years ago. "I wouldn't say it's playing any easier. It was the 10th-toughest course on tour two years ago, and I don't see the scoring being any better, even if the winning score is lower."

None of that seemed to matter to Choi, 32, who took the lead with a course- and tournament-record 63 on Thursday and never looked back. He was tied briefly during the third round, but joined Tiger Woods -- who did it at the U.S. Open and this weekend at the American Express Championship -- as the only players to lead all rounds this season.

"I think this golf course is very tough," said Choi (through an interpreter), who earned $468,000 from the $2.6-million purse. "The fairways are narrow, the greens are very hard. But the courses I play in Houston are similar. I actually felt comfortable about this course. I knew it was a difficult course during the practice rounds, but I didn't feel strange about playing. When I shot 8 under the first round, that really helped a lot."

Choi, who grew up on the small island of Wando, South Korea, where there were no golf courses but only a small driving range, became the first Korean to win on tour when he captured the Compaq Classic of New Orleans in May.

He briefly was challenged on Sunday when Day played the front nine 4-under 32, including birdie at the ninth that brought him within three.

"I made the turn thinking I'm playing good, I need to stick with my routine, keep doing what I'm doing. And let whatever happens happen," said Day, who received $280,800 for second. "Even at that point, K.J. was going to have to make some mistakes."

Instead, it was Day who missed the green at the 10th, leading to bogey. When Choi birdied the par-5 11th, his lead was five, never to be challenged.

For Choi, a week that began with a tinge of disappointment ended in joy. He missed the more prestigious and lucrative American Express Championship in Ireland by a single spot on the money list, having dropped to 31st in the standings.

But winning here may have been better than going to Ireland, where Woods won again. Choi has $1,939,120, moving to 17th on the money list. He has an excellent opportunity to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship (top 30) and is almost assured a spot in the Masters (top 40).

Next year, the Tampa Bay Classic will have its own date, meaning Woods and others who were in Ireland could be here.

The way Choi played, it might not have mattered.

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