Choi holds nerve to win SK Telecom Open by 1 shot
Print Edition
SOUTH Korea’s Choi Jin-ho held his nerve to sink an 18-foot birdie putt at the final hole to win the SK Telecom Open yesterday — just one stroke ahead of compatriot Lee Soo-min.
Choi, who had led the field after every round, closed with a par-72 round to finish the tournament in Incheon on 10 under.
The 21-year-old Lee, who broke the course record on Saturday with a barnstorming round of 63, managed a 71 in the final round, to leave him 9-under overall.
Australian Dimitrios Papadatos (68), New Zealand’s Gareth Paddison (69) and Koreans KT Kim (70), Wang Jeung-hun (73) and Park Jae-bum (70) were joint third two shots behind Choi.
It was a welcome win for Choi who was playing in only his third tournament back on tour since finishing a 20-month stretch of military service, which is mandatory for every able-bodied South Korean male between the ages of 18 and 35.
“Amazing, I am so relieved,” the 30-year-old said. “It was a difficult battle all the way and I am very pleased my game held up. It is an emotional victory considering everything and a surprise to come so soon. I guess I was just very up for it.”
In Wentworth, England, South Korea’s An Byeong-hun was hunting down the biggest win of his professional career as the final round of the BMW PGA Championship got under way yesterday.
An, the US Amateur winner in 2009, shared the third-round lead with Italy’s Francesco Molinari but after three holes of his final round had opened up a one-shot lead over Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee.
The 23-year old Korean had a birdie two at the second whilst Molinari, who has led since the first round, dropped a shot at the first.
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